Lions' 2022 Review: Safety Kerby Joseph Delivers
When Tracy Walker III fell to the U.S. Bank Stadium turf clutching his foot, the Detroit Lions lost a massive piece of their defense.
Lost for the season in Week 3, Walker’s absence created a massive void. Fortunately for the Lions, rookie Kerby Joseph stepped into the role, and filled in admirably. He led the team with four interceptions, and started each of the season’s final 14 games.
This effort pleased Detroit general manager Brad Holmes, who gave the rookie rave reviews during his season-ending press conference.
“We knew Kerby Joseph was a ball guy, we knew he was a ball hawk,” Holmes said. “We knew he had outstanding instincts to get the football. So, that’s not a surprise.”
Here is a primer to the Lions’ safety position, heading into the 2023 offseason.
Reason for hope
Joseph stepped in and quickly got up to speed, becoming a ball-hawk quickly. With Walker in the starting lineup, Joseph saw playing time very sparingly. However, the injury allowed the rookie to step in and showcase his abilities in the secondary.
The 2022 third-round pick had three of his four picks against noted Lions nemesis Aaron Rodgers, including the game-clinching interception in the regular season finale at Lambeau Field. No other player has picked off Rodgers three times in a regular season during the future Hall of Famer's 18-year NFL career.
In addition to his success in coverage, Joseph also forced two fumbles.
Opposite Joseph, DeShon Elliott emerged as one of the Lions’ most consistent defenders from a run-stopping perspective. He finished with an 84.1 tackling grade from Pro Football Focus, second only to AJ Parker on the team’s defense. That mark ranked 17th among NFL safeties.
Elliott showed versatility on the defensive side, playing both inside the box and in the back-half of the secondary.
Don’t forget about Walker, though. He’s on track to return at some point in 2023, with his official timetable uncertain. The return of the veteran will be a welcomed sight for a defense that is still very young.
Reason for worry
Elliott is a free agent, meaning the Lions will have to choose whether he’s worth bringing back. He finished with 96 tackles, second only to Alex Anzalone on the Lions roster, an indication that he was one of the team’s best defenders in 2022.
Behind Elliott, the Lions experimented with multiple pieces at the position. JuJu Hughes, C.J. Moore and Ifeatu Melifonwu all produced up-and-down results.
Melifonwu is the most intriguing piece of the three, as he’s two years removed from being a third-round choice in 2021. He had a whirlwind season, switching from cornerback to safety and missing a large chunk of the season.
Because we’ve seen so little of the former Syracuse defensive back, the book is still out on how consistent he can be. He struggled in his first start against Carolina, missing a pair of tackles, but bounced back to have a solid showing against Chicago the following week.
Joseph, good as he was at making the big plays, still struggled at points in coverage. His communication abilities as the leader of the secondary will need to improve, as he struggled at times keeping up with receivers and communicating coverages.
Walker’s injury is another cause for concern, albeit limited. He suffered a torn Achilles in Week 3, the same injury that both Jeff Okudah and Romeo Okwara suffered in 2021.
Those two players were on drastically different timetables, as Okudah returned by the preseason after getting injured in the 2021 season opener. Okwara, meanwhile, didn’t return until Week 14 after his injury occurred in 2021’s fourth game.
Biggest question
What does Joseph’s role look like when Walker returns? Both players excel in the ‘free safety’ role, allowing them to roam the field, adjust to opposing personnel and make plays in the passing game.
The rookie showed he’s a capable starter and should hold that title at least until Walker comes back. When the veteran returns, though, the Lions will have to decide whether to move one of them or adjust in another fashion.
Walker has experience playing the free safety position, doing so during the 2020 season. His numbers during that campaign were career lows, as he failed to force a turnover in 15 games while recording career-low grades across the board.
Joseph, meanwhile, posted modest numbers as a tackler. His PFF tackling grade was 69.7, which ranked 13th amongst Lions defenders.
Being able to step in and make a tackle is an important quality Detroit looks for in its strong safety, so switching positions could be an adjustment.
Given Detroit’s abundance for playing man-to-man coverage, a possible solution could be to move Joseph into a slot-corner-type role. He’s shown he can play well in coverage and create turnovers, so this would be an avenue for the Lions to get two of their best defensive backs on the field.
There’s also the question of whether or not Elliott will be back, as he would claim the strong safety role. If Detroit elects to pass, it could look to the draft to take a replacement.
Possible candidates for the Lions in the 2023 draft include Boise State’s JL Skinner and Texas A&M’s Antonio Johnson.
Free agents
