Ex-Detroit Lions starting cornerback signing with New York Giants

ALLEN PARK — Amani Oruwariye is the latest former starter to depart the Detroit Lions after the team overhauled their defensive backfield in free agency.

Oruwariye is signing with the New York Giants after spending the first four years of his career in Detroit. The 27-year-old was a multi-year starter across two regimes, with 36 starts across 53 games during his tenure with the team. He initially landed with the Lions as a fifth-round pick by the previous regime in 2019.

The former Penn State standout enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2021. Oruwariye intercepted six passes in only 14 games that year, which was the third-highest in the NFL. But he endured a brutal start this past season and never recovered. And his rough year hit its lowest point when he got docked for six penalties against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3. He never returned to his starting role after the subsequent benching. Pro Football Focus ranked Oruwariye as the second-worst cornerback among those with enough snaps to qualify in 2022. He was docked for allowing 39 catches on 52 targets for 504 yards and four touchdowns, tied for the league-high 10 penalties.

His departure seemed among the most likely this offseason, with both sides needing a fresh start. And then the Lions added outside cornerbacks Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley, not to mention the versatile C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency. And that all but clinched the move. The Lions also have Jeff Okudah, Jerry Jacobs and Mac McCain III in the mix at cornerback, with the team expected to address the position in the upcoming draft. Mike Hughes, who replaced Okudah in the starting lineup down the stretch in 2022, also got pushed out, signing with the Atlanta Falcons.

Oruwariye joins a cornerback room featuring Adoree’ Jackson and Bobby McCain at the top. The cornerback brings a ton of starting experience and is only two years removed from an impressive ball-hawking campaign.