Before You Get Excited, Let’s Talk About What This Actually Is
The Lions worked out former All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs on Sunday. Deep breath. This is not what you think it is.
Detroit brought in eight players for workouts over the weekend. Diggs was one of them. They did not sign him. That should tell you everything you need to know about where this stands right now.
This is tire-kicking. This is Brad Holmes doing his homework. This is what competent front offices do when they have downtime and want to make sure they’ve looked at every available option. What this is not? A sign of panic. A verdict on D.J. Reed. A concern about Rock Ya-Sin. A red flag about the depth chart.
Trevon Diggs Is Not That Guy Anymore
Let’s be honest about who Diggs is right now. He is not a starter. He has not been a starter for a long time.
He played one game for the Packers in 2025. One. Before that, he started six games for the Cowboys before they traded him away. He played 11 games in 2024 and started all 11, but he only appeared in two games in 2023. Diggs has played in just 22 games over the last three seasons combined. The All-Pro version of Trevon Diggs has not existed since 2022, and even then, there were cracks in the foundation.
If you’re reading this workout as a sign that the Lions are unhappy with their cornerback room, you are reading it wrong. If you think this means Reed is hurt long-term or that someone else isn’t working out, that’s not what this is. Not even close.
Hell, I’m not even confident Diggs would make this roster if the Lions did sign him.
What He Actually Could Be For Detroit
Here’s the thing. I get why they kicked the tires. You’ve got Reed and Ya-Sin projected as starters. You’ve got depth behind them. But if Diggs is willing to come in cheap and compete for a CB4 or CB5 spot, sure, why not take a look?
That’s all this is. A depth piece. A rotational option at best. Think Kindle Vildor. That’s the ceiling here unless Diggs somehow finds a time machine and gets back to what he was a few years ago, which seems unlikely given how little he’s been on the field.
The Lions aren’t desperate. They’re not scrambling. They’re doing what well-run organizations do in August. They’re leaving no stone unturned. That’s it.
Detroit worked out eight guys on Sunday and didn’t sign any of them. That tells you they’re being thorough, not reactive. Brad Holmes isn’t about to make a panic move in August, especially not at a position where the Lions have already invested real money and draft capital.
What The Packers Saw
If you want a second opinion on what Diggs looks like right now, consider what happened in Green Bay. The Packers claimed him off waivers ahead of Week 18, and Diggs played 33 defensive snaps against the Minnesota Vikings in the regular season finale when Green Bay decided to rest starters. He was fairly decent in a limited role.
Then the playoffs happened and he played one snap against the Chicago Bears. One.
Green Bay could have worked something out to bring him back, but they didn’t. When the Packers claimed Diggs off waivers, they absorbed only $530k in guarantees, the proration of his 2025 salary for one week. However, the deal also had essentially team options for 2026 ($15.5 million), 2027 ($20.5 million), and 2028 ($21 million). Based on Diggs’ recent production, there was no way the Packers or any NFL team would pay that, and that’s why Green Bay was the only team to put a waiver claim on him.
The Packers could have worked to find a reasonable solution to bring Diggs back, but they weren’t actually interested in it. For Diggs, it just made more sense to be cut again and negotiate his next deal as a free agent, but after a few months it was clear that the Packers had simply decided to move on. That’s not an indictment of his character or his effort. It’s just an honest assessment of where he is as a player right now.
Don’t Overthink This
Could the Lions end up signing Diggs at some point this summer? Sure. It’s not a terrible idea if the price is right and he’s willing to compete for a depth role. But that’s the ceiling here. A camp body with upside if everything breaks right.
This is not a starter. This is not a Band-Aid for an injury. This is not a reflection on anyone currently in the building. It’s Brad Holmes doing what Brad Holmes does, which is leaving no stone unturned while building the best possible roster.
The fact that Detroit didn’t sign him immediately after the workout tells you they’re not in a rush. They’re evaluating. They’re being smart. And if nothing comes of this, that’s fine too.
We’ll see what happens from here, but don’t read this as anything more than what it is.
So do you think Diggs has anything left in the tank or is this just Holmes covering his bases like he always does? Drop your take below.
