The Detroit Lions may very well be the most pleasant surprise in the NFL this season, as they are tied for the league’s best record at 5-1 and sit in first place in the NFC North division by two-and-a-half games.

However, while the Lions have undoubtedly been playing good football, they could also stand to make some roster improvements between now and the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline.

Mike Santa Barbara of Yardbarker thinks Detroit should aim to remedy its ailing secondary by striking a deal for Carolina Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson.

The Lions are without two of their top cornerbacks in CJ Gardner-Johnson and Emmanuel Moseley, both of whom are out for the season with their own respective injuries.

While Detroit lays claim to the NFL’s seventh-best defense as a whole, its pass defense has been pretty ordinary (if not below average), ranking just 18th in the league.

Jackson certainly makes sense as an affordable target for the Lions.

The 28-year-old has bounced back nicely from the torn Achilles that ended his 2022 campaign, and while he is far from an elite player at his position, he is still more than serviceable and would provide the Lions’ defensive backfield with a noticeable boost.

Jackson, who played his collegiate football at LSU, was originally selected by the Panthers in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft and has been a steady contributor for the club ever since.

However, with Carolina being 0-6 and Jackson set to hit free agency this offseason, it may time for the Panthers to part ways with Jackson and recoup some value for him now before he bolts to another team for nothing in the spring.

The Lions will face one of their biggest tests of the season yet when they head on the road to take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday afternoon.

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