Lions training camp preview: Youth at safety creates competition, depth

Lions training camp preview: Youth at safety creates competition, depth
Pride of Detroit Pride of Detroit

The next installment in our training camp preview series looks at the Detroit Lions’ safety group.

In this installment of our Detroit Lions 2025 training camp preview series, we examine the Lions’ safeties, speculate on current and future roles, and discuss how many players from this group could make the 53-man roster.

Previous training camp previews:

Setting the table

The Lions opened the 2024 season with five safeties on their roster, but for the majority of the season, they only deployed three on game days: Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph, and Brandon Joseph. Ifeatu Melifonwu was injured before the regular season, and while he was inactive for the first three weeks, he wasn’t put on injured reserve until Week 4. This move saw undrafted rookie Loren Strickland promoted from S5 to S4, but he only appeared in seven games throughout the season, and his role was limited to special teams.

In Week 14, Strickland was released (signed to the practice squad), and the Lions signed safety Jamal Adams (also to the practice squad). Adams was only elevated twice before being released. In Week 16, Melifonwu was finally healthy and returned to the roster after his second stint on injured reserve, resulting in Brandon Joseph being released. The following week, undrafted rookie Morice Norris was signed off the practice squad and closed out the season as the fourth safety.

Entering the 2025 offseason, the Lions only had two safeties under contract: Branch and Kerby Joseph, who signed a massive contract extension. To add more depth, Morris, Strickland, and practice squader Erick Hallett were re-signed to one-year deals. Melifonwu signed with the Dolphins with the hopes of landing a starting role, and the Lions signed safety/nickel Avonte Maddox as his replacement. Additionally, the Lions drafted Dan Jackson in the seventh round, and local prospect Ian Kennelly was signed as a UDFA.

Roster construction

Under the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime, the Lions have maintained a fairly consistent roster of safeties, typically keeping four or five safeties on the active roster. Let’s take a look at what they’ve done at safety in the previous four seasons:

  • 2021: Opened the season with four safeties but ended up with six at season’s close.
  • 2022: Started and ended the season with five safeties.
  • 2023: Started and ended the season with just four safeties.
  • 2024: Started with five safeties on the roster but operated and ended with four.

The battleground

The Lions coaches believe they know who their...