How CB Amik Robertson impacts Detroit Lions roster

Exploring Amik Robertson’s fit on the Detroit Lions roster and how his acquisition alters their offseason approach.

The Detroit Lions have reportedly agreed to terms with former Raiders cornerback Amik Robertson on a two-year deal. Let’s take a look at how Robertson fits in with the Lions’ roster and scheme, as well as how his addition will impact Detroit’s offseason plans.

Roster fit

After re-signing Emmanuel Moseley ahead of free agency, the Lions entered the negotiating period with five corners set to hit the open market. Their first big move was to reportedly trade for Carlton Davis on Monday, and then they added Robertson on Tuesday, illustrating that they were serious about rebuilding their cornerback’s room.

The early favorites to be the Lions starters in 2024 are Davis and Cameron Sutton, while Moseley offers them a challenger who could push for snaps once he recovers from his most recent ACL injury. The addition of Robertson adds another wrinkle to the staring competition—he started 12 games in 2023 and 21 over his Raiders career—while also providing the Lions with a contributor capable of playing at several spots.

If Robertson doesn’t win a starting role, he can provide the team with a very solid option at CB3. He could step into a starting role if Davis or Sutton are injured, is insurance for Moseley while he recovers from injury, and can operate as a pure nickel corner in situations where Brian Branch will be used elsewhere on the field.

Scheme fit

At 5-foot-9, 183 pounds, Robertson is one of the feistiest corners in the game. Talking trash seems to motivate him to play on another level and his above-average ball skills—he has four interceptions in the NFL and had 14 in college—further add to his value. If that profile feels familiar, it’s because it’s nearly identical to Robertson’s new defensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn.

Robertson is undersized for the outside corner position, but he has been able to stick there for a lot of the same reasons Glenn did. He plays bigger than he looks, tries out-physical the man across from him, doesn’t back down from bigger-bodied opponents, and lives off his high-level instincts.

“First of all, he’s extremely talented when the ball is in the air,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said of Robertson, via The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. “He’s probably one of the more physical DBs, as well. You always see him punch the ball, coming through making tackles. I don’t want to call it the little man complex, but he walks around like he’s 6-2, 220 sometimes, and he’s fearless. He’s a smart football player. He has confidence, and I’m glad he’s finally having success on the field.”

But it’s not just coaches who are signing Robertson’s praises, All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby also had this to say about his former teammate:

“Amik’s a certified playmaker,” Crosby said to The Athletic. “He’s always around the ball. Every time he’s in there, he’s making plays. That’s just what he does. … The dude is all over the place. The more playing time he gets, the more plays he makes. Major respect to Amik. The guy works his ass off. I love that guy. He’s just fun to be around and he’s a ballplayer.”

You want your defense to be a reflection of its coordinator and Robertson appears like he will fit right in.

Offseason impact

With the addition of Robertson, the Lions now have four corners on the roster with at least 20 NFL starts.

While the Lions are sitting pretty in the experience department at outside corner, only Robertson and Sutton are signed beyond this season, and both have minimal guarantees in 2025, giving the team an out if they perform poorly. That means, with Davis and Moseley in contract years, the Lions could be in trouble next offseason if things go sideways.

Therefore, while the Lions may be in good shape with their top four for 2024, their future is unsettled and that’s why adding a cornerback in the draft remains on the table. And with the Lions’ “best player available” approach, that means they could select a corner at any of their seven picks.