One Defensive Free Agent Lions Should Target

Outside of re-signing their own players (i.e. Charles Harris and Tracy Walker), the Detroit Lions have remained quiet in free agency up to this point.

In fact, the only external free agent signed by the Lions thus far has been former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver D.J. Chark Jr. Detroit general manager Brad Holmes inked Chark to a one-year, "prove-it" deal worth $10 million.

It leaves Holmes & Co. with plenty of areas of need still to address on the defensive side of the ball, most notably at EDGE and in the secondary.

The organization will most likely fill the void at EDGE via the No. 2 overall selection in this April's NFL Draft. It's expected that the team will take either Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson or Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux with the pick, both of whom are expected to be high-end pass rushers at the next level.

Thus, it leaves the need in the secondary -- both at cornerback and at safety -- as the most glaring void for Detroit's front office to address through free agency, in my opinion.

With that said, if I were Holmes, the one defensive free agent I'd definitely be targeting at this moment is New Orleans Saints cornerback P.J. Williams.

I know the Lions have a bigger need at safety opposite Walker and have built up some depth at corner with the likes of Jeff Okudah, Amani Oruwariye, Jerry Jacobs and AJ Parker.

However, the verdict is still out on the aforementioned defensive backs group, especially when it comes to the injury-prone Okudah, as well as Jacobs and Parker, both of whom were undrafted rookie free agents in 2021.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Williams, a much more proven commodity.

Williams, a third-round selection of the Saints in 2015, has only suited up for New Orleans in his career. He's been a "Swiss army knife" with the Saints -- a term that Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn used to describe him during a 2020 interview -- having logged time at safety, cornerback and slot corner in nickel and dime packages.

He'll be 29 come the start of the 2022 campaign, and is coming off a season in which he logged a career-best three interceptions and two sacks.

Additionally, he's produced at least one interception each season in which he's played in at least 14 games (dating back to 2017).

There's also the familiarity Williams has with Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Glenn, both of whom were former Saints assistants.

It could make it all the more enticing for Detroit to go out and grab Williams.

If I'm Holmes, I'm making a concerted effort to do just that.