ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions know who they have at the top of their safety rotation. They also know they have it better than most, with Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph anchoring their defense.
But after those two big names? They are banking on a ferocious race to the finish line to determine those final couple of spots at safety.
Avonte Maddox is expected to split some time between slot cornerback and safety. The veteran signed with the Lions in free agency and sounds like the first option to replace Ifeatu Melifonwu.
“Avonte will be an inside player, similar to what he’s done his whole career, as far as a nickel/safety body, “Jim O’Neil, the team’s safeties coach and defensive assistant, said last week.” After that, we’ve got five young, unproven, hungry guys. There’s one spot. Go earn it.
“It’s exciting to see those guys compete. And, obviously, the OTAs and the training camp practices. And they’ll get the bulk of the work throughout the four preseason games. We’re waiting for one of them to pop. Hopefully, two or three of them pop, and we end up in a great situation.”
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Those other safeties in the mix are Dan Jackson, Ian Kennelly, Loren Strickland, Erick Hallett and Morice Norris Jr.
Jackson was the team’s seventh-round pick in last month’s draft. The Lions have spoken glowingly about his path to the league, not to mention his proven chops on special teams. Jackson was a one-year starter at Georgia but made the absolute most of his opportunity.
O’Neill said he is one of those prospects that personifies grit, as someone who went through everything in college just trying to get on the field.
“I’m excited. He (Jackson) was kind of the alpha in the back seven that did most of the communication,” the Lions safeties coach said. “Very, very football smart. Got to make sure he’s not thinking too much because, again, we’ve thrown a lot at him, and we’ve done that on purpose to kind of force some of these guys to sink or swim.”
Kennelly, the former Grand Valley State University standout, is an undrafted free agent who impressed at the team’s local pro day. He earned praise for his showing that day from assistant manager Ray Agnew ahead of rookie minicamp.
And O’Neill was impressed with what he’s seen ahead of Organized Team Activities starting later this week.
“I didn’t know anything about the kid. At all. He came to local day, and he crushed it,” O’Neill said. “Not just the DB coaches observed it, (but) (special teams coordinator Dave) Fipp ended up gravitating over; Dan (Campbell) ended up gravitating over. It’s like, ‘Who is this kid?’
“And then we went back, and we watched some of the tape, and some of the stuff we saw at the local day was showing up: Physical, could run, could obviously track the ball … He’s a great developmental player right now that I’m hoping develops into a damn good player for us.”
Strickland, Hallett and Norris are back for another run after spending last year with the Lions in some capacity.
Strickland made the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie last year, then finished the year on the practice squad before signing a reserve/future deal.
Hallett spent most of 2024 on the practice squad and was a 2023 sixth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Norris stuck with the Lions for most of training camp as an undrafted rookie, then landed on the practice squad before joining the main roster late in the year.
The Lions open OTAs this weekend in Allen Park, and then have another round the next week before heading into summer break.
“I think, for us, No. 1 is versatility,” O’Neill said of what they’re looking for in that final safety. “In an ideal world — you’re not going to get a backup safety that can do all the things that Kerby and Brian Branch can do, but somebody who can play in the deep part of the field, somebody who can get down in the box and be physical and tackle in the run game (is what we’re looking for).
“And then for us, where we’re different with what Brian gives us is the ability to play man coverage on tight ends and receivers, which is really, really rare. That’s a hard skill set to find, but we’re going to ask our guys all through OTAs, training camp and in the preseason games, we’re going to ask our safeties to play man-to-man coverage on slot receivers, and we’re going to see how they do.”
