When injuries ravaged the Lions' defense last season, the pressure grew on Carlton Davis III to be Detroit's top cornerback after he was acquired from the Buccaneers in a trade.
Despite posting the NFC's best record, attrition eventually caught up with the Lions in a divisional round loss to Washington, in which the Commanders went up and down the field at will.
In need of a fresh start, Davis chose to sign a three-year deal with the Patriots during the offseason, providing a jolt to New England's secondary and giving the young, talented Christian Gonzalez the ideal wingman in the defensive backfield.
Davis is talented enough to be a number one cornerback, and he undoubtedly provides the Patriots with insurance in that regard, should something happen to Gonzalez. But was signing with New England the ideal situation for Davis?
Carlton Davis may have saved his prime by signing with the Patriots this offseason
The AFC East is stacked with top-tier receivers in the likes of Tyreek Hill, Keon Coleman, and Garrett Wilson. In only two seasons in the NFL, Gonzalez has garnered a great deal of respect in terms of taking away the opponent's best option.
Perhaps that is why the Patriots proved to be the ideal destination for Davis.
First and foremost, this isn't a defense in which Davis has to be the number one cornerback. That distinction belongs to Gonzalez, who will often be assigned to the opposition's top receiver.
Having a 1B in Davis to Gonzalez's 1A not only gives the Patriots some of the best talent at the cornerback position that they've had in quite some time, but it will put a little more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Standing at 6'1'', Davis has the height and athleticism to match up with some of the league's bigger, more physical targets. Think of Miami's Jaylen Waddle, who has been a nightmare for the Patriots since coming into the league.
Davis has a knack for creating turnovers with 11 career interceptions and four forced fumbles since coming into the league in 2018. While a flaw in Davis' game has been allowing big plays, being paired up with Gonzalez will take a lot of pressure off Davis to be matched up against the opponent's top receiver.
That's a big reason why signing with New England was the ideal choice for Davis to make at this stage of his career. The fact that former Lions' defensive line coach Terrell Williams is now New England's defensive coordinator, and had to have been an X-factor as well, as Davis won't have to spend a lot of time learning a new scheme.