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The Detroit Lions made a near-complete overhaul of their secondary this offseason, replacing one of the league’s worst units with some high-profile additions.
But an insider believes one of the remaining incumbent members of the defensive backfield could be in danger of losing his job before the season starts. In a projection of the team’s final 53-man roster, MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke predicted that safety Ifeatu Melifonwu would be one of the “toughest cuts” for the team to make.
Other insiders have predicted that the 2021 third-round pick would land on the outside of the roster bubble because he failed to make much of an impression after changing from safety to cornerback last season.
Defensive Rotation Coming Clear
Detroit’s starting lineup had already “begun to crystalize” in the days before the team’s first preseason game on August 12, Meinke noted. Heading into the game, a 21-16 win over the New York Giants, Cam Sutton and Jerry Jacobs were holding down the starting spots at outside cornerback, with Brian Branch in the slot and C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Kerby Joseph at safety.
That lineup would leave Melifonwu on the outside looking in, Meinke predicted.
“Melifonwu was among the toughest cuts on this projection, but I just haven’t seen enough development out of him to warrant the roster spot,” he wrote in a story published August 12. “He certainly looks the part, as a big, rangy defensive back. But the physical tools simply haven’t translated to the field, and there are better options on special teams. He’s on the roster bubble but has work to do to make that remade secondary.”
Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire also predicted in June that Melifonwu would end up being cut, noting that the team has not been able to find a place for him through his first two seasons in the NFL.
“Melifonwu enters his third season with the Lions in real peril of not even making the team,” Risdon wrote. “The 2021 third-round pick started out at cornerback and fizzled as a rookie. In 2022 the Lions moved him to safety and he struggled even more.”
Dan Campbell Has Hope for Lions Safety
The Lions may not be ready to give up on Melifonwu just yet. Speaking to reporters before the start of the team’s minicamp in June, head coach Dan Campbell praised the 24-year-old for the progress he had made so far and noted that injuries hampered his ability to develop last season.
“Yeah, I would say you see growth,” Campbell said, via SI.com. “To your point, he’s relatively new to the position. And, you’re right, the injuries hurt him. Not being able to get the reps, the repetitions, added time on task. So, this is one of the few times that we’ve had him for a significant amount of time, consistently, consecutively. So, that in itself is paying dividends right now. We see growth, he’s coming along. And look, here’s the thing: Iffy’s a pretty smart player, he really is. Like, he gets it.”
Melifonwu had a strong start to the preseason with a steady performance in the team’s win over the Giants on August 12. The third-year defensive back made three tackles while earning a 70.2 grade from Pro Football Focus.
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