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The Detroit Lions have some holes to fill across their roster, and suddenly, the suggestions have begun to flow in as it relates to how they might get this done.
With free agency right around the corner, analysts have begun to toss out all kinds of suggestions for the team as it relates to how to fix their roster at key spots. Most agree that defense is the top need, and the defensive backfield a glaring hole for the team.
At this point, though, several folks have written they believe cornerback to be the neediest spot in that room. That might not be completely the case, though, with safety also looking like a spot of weakness.
Regardless, Bleacher Report and writer Kristopher Knox took a fresh look at picking out some of the best young free agents to hit the market this year, and also connecting them with some teams. Interestingly enough, the Lions were included.
As Knox wrote, he believes free agent safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is the third-best free agent under 25 on the market, and he thinks Detroit represents his best fit in terms of a player who can make a change in terms of what he offers a group that has struggled badly statistically.
“While the Detroit Lions have just $15.9 million in projected cap space, they’d be wise to make a run at Gardner-Johnson. Detroit ranked a dismal 31st in yards per pass attempt allowed (7.0), and it will likely look to replace impending free agent DeShon Elliott (125.3 OPR in 2022) at safety this offseason,” he wrote in the piece..
Knox was quick to point out that while Gardner-Johnson himself may not cure all of Detroit’s problems, he could certainly serve as a key force for the team along with Tracy Walker.
“While adding Gardner-Johnson alone wouldn’t fix Detroit’s 32nd-ranked defense, pairing him with Tracy Walker III would give the Lions one of the best safety tandems in the NFL,” Knox said.
Interestingly enough, Gardner-Johnson also has a tie to Detroit, given Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn were both with the Saints when he was there. Glenn coached him in the defensive backfield to deepen that connection.
Gardner-Johnson just competed in the Super Bowl, and is far from the only Philadelphia free agent that has been connected by writers to the Lions before free agency. He could be the best player to solve a major defensive need when all is said and done, however.
Gardner-Johnson’s Career Stats & Highlights
In terms of players with a tie to Detroit’s staff, Gardner-Johnson takes the title of an impending free agent that the Lions might look at for their backfield.
Working with Glenn in New Orleans who was his defensive back coach, Gardner-Johnson put up five interceptions and three sacks, and was a stable force. With the Lions perhaps in need of defensive backs, Gardner-Johnson could be a familiar name to help the team over the hump.
In his career, Gardner-Johnson has posted 228 tackles and 11 interceptions. He was a standout in New Orleans until a 2022 trade that sent him to New Orleans in exchange for a fifth and sixth-round pick in 2024.
Highlights show a hard hitting player who can cover a lot of ground on the back end, something Detroit was missing in 2022.
Gardner-Johnson is a player that is gritty in the backfield and could have an understanding of the scheme the Lions are running under Glenn. To that end, he could be a good choice for the Lions, who are looking for a young player to build around at the spot.
Detroit Defensive Backfield Needs Upgrades
No matter whether the team chooses to look at cornerback or safety first, there is a glaring need at both spots as the statistics prove.
Detroit finished 30th in pass defense, allowing 26 touchdowns and over 245 yards per-game on average. Worse, they allowed a total of 4,179 yards through the air. That points to a group that simply didn’t get much going all season long.
At cornerback, there are concerns which could lead to additions. Jeff Okudah, who posted 73 tackles and one interception was the most consistent player of the group, and by the end of the season, he was struggling to find consistency as well. The Lions have solid pieces like Jerry Jacobs, but not nearly enough depth at the position, which proved itself to be the case most of the year.
Safety has issues of its own. While Kerby Joseph emerged with 83 tackles and four interceptions this season, the team will be working Tracy Walker back off an ACL injury. There’s no guarantee they will keep DeShon Elliott, who is a free agent. Beyond that, there isn’t much depth, with C.J. Moore and Ifeatu Melifonwu unproven for regular roles.
Getting some veteran players along with a few more young bodies could be the key toward helping the Lions turn things around for the future. If the team looks to make an addition to the backfield, remember Gardner-Johnson’s name, as well.
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