How OTAs Changed Detroit Lions 2026 Safety Depth Chart

The Detroit Lions have been busy with making additions to their secondary throughout the offseason.

When healthy, the Lions feature one of the NFL's safety tandems in Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. Joseph is a former First Team All-Pro selection who led the NFL in interceptions with nine in the 2024 season, while Branch is a versatile defender who does a little bit of everything for the defense.

However, both players did not participate in OTAs while nursing injuries from last season, and the team is not rushing them back with hopes of having them healthy sooner rather than later. As a result, the three sessions of OTAs offered a look at what the defense could look like at safety if both are unavailable at the start of the regular season.

Throughout the three practices open to members of the media, the Lions were working mostly with Chuck Clark and Christian Izien at safety with the first-team defense. Clark was playing Branch's position, while Izien was playing Joseph's position for most of the practices, though they did swap roles at times.

Both Clark and Izien are offseason additions, with Izien being signed during the first wave of free agency and Clark joining the team at the beginning of April. Both players have plenty of experience, and seem to be the next in line behind the starting duo of Branch and Joseph.

Clark is the more experienced of the two, having played in 123 games with 80 starts in nine seasons. Izien, meanwhile, has appeared in 45 games with 15 starts over three years since entering the league as an undrafted free agent.

The two players appear to be ahead of returning safeties Thomas Harper and Avonte Maddox on the depth chart. Harper made nine starts last year for Detroit, taking over after Joseph went down with a knee injury and was eventually shutdown for the season.

In Harper's stint as a starter last year, he had some good moments but also some bouts with inconsistency. Head coach Dan Campbell discussed that during his media session Thursday, while noting that the young player has done some good things throughout the offseason program.

Maddox is another intriguing depth piece, as he has the versatility to play corner, nickel or safety. Last year, which was his first season with the Lions, he played predominately safety in Kelvin Sheppard's defensive scheme.

While the competition for the safety spots will likely extend into training camp and reach a fever pitch when padded practices begin, OTAs did offer a look at where the hierarchy currently stands.

There has been little provided in the way of a clear timetable for either Joseph or Branch to return, with Campbell emphasizing that the team is playing it safe with their returns. Joseph is nursing what has been reported as a chronic knee injury that may linger, while Branch is recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in December.

As it stands, if both are unable to return it appears that the team is comfortable with beginning the year with Izien and Clark as the two safeties.

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