Trevon Diggs is out of chances with two teams already this year, and he’s hoping Detroit is where his career finds solid ground again. The Lions gave the veteran cornerback a tryout over the weekend, one of eight players Detroit brought in, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
No contract came out of it. But the Lions now have a firsthand look at a player who was, not that long ago, one of the best cover corners in football.
Why Detroit Is Looking
The tryout comes down to one open roster spot. The Lions released cornerback Terrion Arnold in June after he was arrested on kidnapping and armed robbery charges tied to a February incident in Tampa. Arnold, Detroit’s first-round pick in 2024, had started 22 games for the Lions across two seasons. His exit left a real hole opposite D.J. Reed, one that names like Rock Ya-Sin and Ennis Rakestraw haven’t fully closed heading into camp.
Detroit’s pass defense wasn’t a strength last season regardless. The Lions allowed 268.6 passing yards per game, third-most in the league, according to StatMuse. That’s the backdrop for a tryout that, on paper, looks low-cost and easy to justify.
Diggs’ Long Fall From All-Pro
Diggs led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors as a 22-year-old. He made a second Pro Bowl the following year. Then a torn ACL in 2023, and a second injury to the same knee that ended his 2024 season early, changed the trajectory entirely.
Dallas cut him in December. Green Bay claimed him off waivers and got one game out of him — an unexpected playoff snap against Minnesota — before releasing him again in January. Since his 2022 peak, Diggs has intercepted nine passes total across three seasons, a steep drop from the player who once looked like a shutdown corner in the making.
| Category | Career Total |
|---|---|
| Games Played / Started | 67 / 64 |
| Tackles | 242 |
| Passes Defended | 63 |
| Interceptions | 20 |
Those numbers carry the shape of a good player. But 11 of his 20 career interceptions came in that one 2021 season — the rest of his career has produced far less, and last year he didn’t record a single interception or pass breakup in nine combined games for Dallas and Green Bay.
What’s Next
A tryout is an evaluation, not a commitment. The Lions didn’t sign Diggs on the spot, and turning 28 in September while working back from a surgically repaired knee, he’ll need camp reps — if Detroit offers them — to prove he can still hold up in man coverage under Dan Campbell’s physical scheme. Whether that happens likely depends on how the rest of Detroit’s secondary looks once training camp gets underway.
