Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, analysts believe they have honed in on the biggest needs of the Detroit Lions. Defensive end and guard stand out to most as the process wraps up in a few weeks.
With seven picks, the Lions have ammunition to fill other holes and will certainly look outside the box to patch those positions. There's going to be other targets, which lends itself to other roster spots being filled that may not feel like needs on the surface.
Bleacher Report and writer Alex Ballentine have identified a surprising position of need for every team in 2025. In Detroit, that spot looks like safety given a key departure this offseason that some folks probably aren't focusing on enough.
"Ifeatu Melifonwu probably didn't get enough credit for what he allowed the Lions to do in the secondary. His versatility gave free rein for Aaron Glenn to deploy Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph in whatever roles he wanted to."
"By the end of the season Melifonwu was playing over half the snaps on defense. Now, he's a Miami Dolphin and the Lions may want to turn to the draft to find a third safety."
"Lathan Ransom, Andrew Mukuba and Sebastian Castro are a part of a safety cluster on our big board that could be available at the end of the third round where the Lions have a compensatory pick (No. 102 overall)."
"Each player brings something a little different to the table. However, all three are physical players who could fit into the culture Dan Campbell has built in Detroit with Branch and Joseph being versatile enough to make the fit work."
Many fans might not consider the loss of Melifonwu a big deal, but his subtraction could well eliminate some of the depth and position versatility the Lions have enjoyed on the back end the last few seasons. That could leave the Lions in a position where they badly need young safety depth in the draft immediately.
Detroit Lions could quietly look to prioritize safety position early during draft
This offseason, the Lions have beefed up at cornerback, signing D.J. Reed, Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox. Considering the experience of those players combined with the expected resurgence of youngsters Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw, it seems fair to say that position won't be on the radar in the draft.
Safety, though, could be on the radar given the Lions haven't made a veteran addition there. Outside of stars like Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, the depth chart is quite thin. Morice Norris, Loren Strickland and Erick Hallett are the only names currently on the roster as backups. Brandon Joseph would have been included in that group, but he was released after an arrest in December 2024.
With this in mind, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Lions draft a safety, and even look to select one fairly early this month. Don't consider it a shock if the Lions grab a safety they like at some point starting on day two.
