Injuries have been a common problem for the Detroit Lions defense over the past couple of seasons. But unlike in 2025, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard is optimistic that the unit has appropriate depth to withstand anything that may come its way this season.
Last Thursday, Lions.com senior writer Tim Twentyman shared comments Sheppard made during a recent media session ahead of Detroit's final day of organized team activities (OTAs). Ahead of the mandatory minicamp, which begins on Jun. 16, Sheppard discussed the statuses of starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.
The second-year coordinator, a member of head coach Dan Campbell's staff since 2021, expressed belief that the secondary is equipped to stay afloat should one or both of the starting pair begin the 2026 season inactive.
"Sheppard talked extensively ... about the depth Detroit has built at the safety position with players like Chuck Clark, [Christian] Izien, Thomas Harper, Dan Jackson and Loren Strickland," Twentyman wrote. "He believes the defense is in a much better spot this season to handle any potential time Joseph or Branch might miss."
Safety remains A major question for Detroit Lions following OTAs
Joseph (knee) and Branch (Achilles) remain sidelined following season-ending 2025 injuries that contributed mightily to the Lions failing to reach the playoffs for a third consecutive season and finishing last in the NFC North one season removed from owning the conference's best record.
Earlier this month, Campbell shared uncertainty about Joseph's prognosis for 2026, telling reporters, "I don't know. I honestly don't know," when asked about his 2024 first-team All-Pro safety's rehab.
Branch tore his Achilles tendon in December of last year, and with a recovery timeline somewhere between 8 and 12 months, he could very well miss the majority of the regular season.
That puts the onus on Sheppard to have the group available to him ready for extended playing time. While he's hopeful, skepticism will remain until we see the unit in action.
Among the players Twentyman listed, Izien, a 2026 free-agent signing, may have the most potential, already seeing playing time on the first-team defense. The 2023 undrafted free agent played the past three seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, totalling three interceptions while appearing in 45 games, including 15 starts.
Harper and Strickland both entered the league as undrafted free agents in 2024. Harper has 14 career starts, including nine for the Lions last season, while Strickland is an unknown with just 14 career defensive snaps. He spent the majority of 2025 on Detroit's practice squad after being waived on Oct. 14.
Jackson was selected in the seventh round (No. 230 overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft, while Clark, entering his ninth season, has produced diminished results in two seasons since recovering from a torn ACL that forced him to miss all of 2023, allowing six touchdowns without an interception in 27 games (17 starts) from 2024-25.
Last year, the Lions went 1-3 over their final four games with both Joseph and Branch out, allowing 27.3 points and 382.8 yards per game. The team's depth at safety will be under scrutiny throughout the summer, making it arguably Detroit's most pressing issue heading into minicamp later this month and training camp in July.
Sheppard's confidence is promising, but time will tell if it's warranted.
Add us as a preferred source on Google