The Detroit Lions find themselves in an intriguing position on defense as the NFL nears free agency.

The team boasts some standout talent on that side of the ball, including two of the best safeties in the league and an edge rusher who is currently the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year next season.

This talent is a result of the organization’s focused effort to strengthen their defense.

However, that investment hasn’t fully paid off in one key area: cornerback.

Despite acquiring Carlton Davis in a trade and drafting two cornerbacks last year, the team has continued to struggle at this position.

With Davis now set to hit free agency and the future of their young corners uncertain, the Lions are expected to explore free-agent options this offseason, potentially targeting a player with Super Bowl experience.

In a recent article predicting which free agent each NFL team would target, USA Today’s Jacob Camenker suggested the Lions might go after Charvarius Ward, cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers.

Ward is coming off his worst season since his rookie year, with a 61.5% completion rate allowed and 7.5 yards per target — his poorest statistics since 2018.

Still, that might not stop the Lions from pursuing him.

Much of the offseason buzz surrounding the Lions has focused on adding talent to the edge to pair with Aidan Hutchinson.

However, the real focus should probably be on cornerback.

While there is plenty of talent available at edge, both in free agency and the draft, cornerback is a more scarce position.

The free-agent pool doesn’t offer many viable CB1 candidates, and the options by the time the Lions select in the first round of the draft will be limited.

Though Ward’s disappointing 2024 season raises concerns, he’s still likely in his prime and has shown in the past he can perform at a high level.

The Lions should be prepared to make a serious push for Ward to address their cornerback issues and create more stability at the position for the 2025 season.