Lions 2022 Combine Preview: Safeties
The NFL combine is right around the corner, and the Detroit Lions have more than a few needs on their roster.
A position that requires some more talent is the safety spot. Starting safety Tracy Walker is a pending free agent, and there isn't currently a whole lot of depth behind him.
Needless to say, Detroit general manager Brad Holmes will be on the hunt for some additional bodies.
Let's take a look at six safeties that could intrigue the Lions at the combine.
Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
Last year it was tight end Kyle Pitts. The year before that, it was linebacker Isaiah Simmons, and this year, it's Hamilton who gets the "unicorn" label in the draft.
Pitts, Simmons and Hamilton don't play at the most valuable positions typically selected at the top of the first round, but they provide such a unique skill set that it's worth the risk.
It is rare to find a player who can provide as much potential impact as Hamilton. He is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound safety who can play all over the field -- even in the deep, single-high safety role if asked to do so.
It may be tough to justify taking Hamilton over some of the EDGE defenders at the No. 2 spot, but Hamilton shouldn't drop much further after that.
Daxton Hill, Michigan
It will be interesting to see where Hill weighs in at the combine. Listed at 192 pounds, he is on the leaner side of the spectrum. Despite his slender build, he still isn’t afraid to throw his weight around.
In 2021, Hill was predominantly a slot corner. However, Hill still saw some looks as a free safety, and moved around quite a bit.
At the next level, he projects more as a deep safety, given his range. Still, that wouldn’t preclude him from manning up receivers in the slot, if called upon to do so at the next level.
Jaquan Brisker, Penn State
Brisker is more of a box safety, and it may devalue him a little bit. Important to note, he did line up deep a lot more earlier in his career and did just fine. A big question will be his speed and hip fluidity at the combine.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder does his best work close to the line of scrimmage. Brisker seeks contact and stops ball carriers in his tracks.
Even in coverage, he wasn’t a liability, and had good instincts to find the ball when he could keep his eyes on the quarterback. Wherever he lines up, he just seems to make plays.
Jalen Pitre, Baylor
As another slot defender, Pitre showed his coverage ability at the Senior Bowl.
He stood out amongst a weaker group in Mobile, Ala. Much like the safeties above, Pitre has a nose for the football, and was in the opponent’s backfield plenty.
He could be the best of the group against the run. The 5-foot-11, 196-pound defensive back is on the smaller side, and has hardly any experience playing deep.
So again, certain teams may not even consider him a safety.
Lewis Cine, Georgia
Cine played as a deep safety a majority of the time while at Georgia. He has no problem coming up and supporting the run, though.
Once he gets on track, he flies to the ball carrier with an enforcer-like mentality. He has good instincts with route combinations and when the ball is in the air.
Cine is a well-rounded player, with no glaring flaws in his game.
Kerby Joseph, Illinois
Joseph was a bit of a late bloomer at the college level. He shined his senior season with five interceptions, and earned himself an invite to the Senior Bowl.
The 2021 first-team All-Big Ten safety has an innate ability to high-point deep passes, and was able to beat wideouts in contested catch situations.
Lining up as a true deep safety, he was also a reliable tackler when coming up in run support.
