While the deal isn’t official yet, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the Lions are on the verge of acquiring cornerback Chris Houston from the Falcons in exchange for their sixth round pick. In addition, the two teams would also swap selections in the fifth round.

The Falcons drafted Houston out of Arkansas with the 41st overall pick (second round) in the 2007 draft in hopes that he would pair with DeAngelo Hall to form a formidable duo in their secondary. But Hall was traded the following year and despite having the opportunity to gain extensive playing time as a starter, Houston just hasn’t been an ideal fit in Atlanta.

In Detroit, Houston will be able to play more press coverage, which should suit him better than the zone scheme that the Falcons run. He’s extremely athletic and if he can get his hands on a receiver at the line, he can be a decent cover corner. The problem is that he has massive issues trying to find the ball once it’s in the air and struggles playing in space, which is why he isn’t a fit in zone coverage. Still, he has all the athletic tools to succeed and if he winds up fulfilling his talent, he could be a solid No. 2 in the league.

With that in mind, I love this trade for the Lions. They’re acquiring a starting caliber corner for peanuts and he offers more upside than the recently released Phillip Buchanon. There’s obviously still a huge possibility that Houston will never develop the ball skills to become a good corner (trust me, he will drive fans nuts several times of year by being in position and not making the play), but again, the Lions aren’t giving up anything of real value in order to acquire him and they desperately needed corner help. Martin Mayhew has had a nice offseason thus far and this was yet another sound decision by the second year GM.

While I don’t like the compensation for the Falcons (I realize they weren’t going to get a fourth rounder in return, but they might as well have hung onto Houston with what they’re acquiring), I understand the decision. As previously mentioned, he wasn’t an ideal fit for their zone scheme and with Dunta Robinson, Brian Williams, Brent Grimes, Chevis Jackson and Chris Owens already on the roster, Houston was expendable. Plus, with Robinson now on the opposite side, Houston was likely to receive even more attention than he was already getting and that’s not a good thing for a corner that gets toasted several times a year.

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