The Detroit Lions have been viewed as an offensive first team, but the team might have to lean into that idea even more during the 2026 season. Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated went through the good, bad, and ugly for the preseason across the NFL.
For the Lions secondary, it cannot get much uglier.
“Last year, the Lions missed the playoffs,” wrote Verderame. “If they do so again, it’ll likely be because they can’t stop anybody from completing a pass….For Dan Campbell’s crew, it might mean having to win a lot of games with a high-octane offense and an opportunistic defense.”
The Lions will be without Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph to start the year. Branch is on the PUP due to an Achilles injury last year, and Joseph is on the PUP due to a lingering back issue.
On top of that, former first-round pick Terrion Arnold was released after being arrested and charged with burglary and robbery. Considering the Lions are working with a new slot, they have four new starters in their five secondary spots. Without four of their top five starters on the field, things do not look good, and the preseason did not make anyone feel better.
Detroit Lions Secondary Predicted to Struggle in 2026
The Lions will start D.J. Reed on one of the outside spots. The issue is the player across from him does not inspire much confidence. Rock Ya-Sin has been a depth journeyman who was a backup last year. Now, he is starting and entered the season relatively uncontested.
Former second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw was supposed to be the one to push him for work. However, he has been banged up and has not lived up to expectations.
Nick Whiteside appeared to be pushing ahead of Rakestraw. However, Whiteside is a veteran who has bounced around the NFL, and he did not do quite enough to earn a roster spot. He was released, showing that a potential starter for the Lions was not valued enough to keep on the roster.
In the slot, the team has debated between veteran Roger McCreary and rookie Keith Abney. Free agent signing Christian Izien was in the mix as well, but is currently injured. Either way, the spot is unresolved.
Lions Have Two New Starting Safeties
The injury to Izien, on top of Branch and Joseph being out, made things easy to understand at safety. Chuck Clark was a free agent who was brought in to compete. The veteran has 80 career starts, including five last season. However, he is now going to be 31 years old.
They also have Avonte Maddox, but he has 44 career starts, and only three were last season. He was depth for the Lions last year and knows the system, but is typically viewed as a depth option. The only other safety currently on the roster is Thomas Harper. He made the team due to special teams.
The unit is weak entering the year. The question is whether the front seven or the offense can help things while they find their footing.
Lions Weakness Hit With Brutal 2026 Prediction