Lions Eye Progress for Injured Safeties as Team Passes on Drafting the Position
Detroit kept its draft board intact, judging this safety class thin.
Overview
- GM Brad Holmes said Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are “heading in the right direction” following the NFL Draft.
- Holmes explained the team did not select a safety because the choices did not match their picks and the position group looked shallow this year.
- Branch tore his Achilles in December and faces an eight‑to‑12‑month recovery, while Joseph’s knee issues limited him to five games before an injured reserve stint after Week 6.
- Detroit bolstered short‑term depth in free agency by re‑signing Avonte Maddox and adding Chuck Clark and Christian Izien, with Thomas Harper returning after solid relief work.
- Holmes said medical staff will have clearer updates in about a month, a checkpoint that could shape snap counts and roles as Branch enters his contract year and Joseph returns from a season curtailed by injury.