3 Jaguars players the Lions could trade for after CJ Gardner-Johnson's injury

No. 1 Jaguars player the Lions could trade for to replace CJ Gardner-Johnson: Tre Herndon

If the Lions were to look for a more traditional slot cornerback to fill the void left by C.J. Gardner-Johnson, they could then give the Jaguars a call about Tre Herndon, who's appeared in 67 games with 30 starts for Jacksonville the last five years.

One thing that could incentivize Detroit to trade for Herndon (or any other nickel) is that Will Harris, their primary option in the slot last year wasn't really good, giving up a 70.7 percent completion rate when targeted.

Herndon, an undrafted free agent in 2019, can line up in the slot or in the boundaries. That kind of versatility, along with his starting experience, makes him an intriguing option to inquire about. You could argue that the Jags gave Herndon a one-year deal in March but general manager Trent Baalke has previously shown that he's not afraid to trade players he just recently re-signed. For proof, he traded cornerback Sidney Jones in 2021 just months after bringing him back on a one-year deal.

The team's brass said during the draft that they felt good about going into the season with Herndon in the slot. However, they have options to replace him in case they were decided to trade him to the Lions (or someone else). Rookies Christian Braswell and Antonio Johnson would be the first in line. Also, the Jaguars have shown interest in free agent Arthur Maulet, so they could be in the position to move on from Herndon if they chose to.

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