One of the biggest questions of the summer is who will start in the Detroit Lions‘ secondary. Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph, Amik Robertson, and Terrion Arnold went from starters last year to not starting in Week 1 of the 2026 season. Two of those players are no longer on the team. So, who steps into those roles?
While nothing is locked down yet, Jeremy Reisman of Pride Of Detroit was at Lions training camp, and he has a projection for what the secondary will look like.
Reisman went through a few options, but ultimately decided on D.J. Reed and Rock Ya-Sin on the outside. Then, Christian Izien will be in the nickel. Lastly, Avonte Maddox and Chuck Clark would fill in at safety.
Detroit Lions Are Filling Out Secondary Competition
GettyDetroit Lions former second-round cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Reed is the only one firmly locked into his role. He started last year and will return this year as long as he is healthy. All four of the other spots bring questions. Ya-Sin is the leader on the outside right now. However, he is going to continue to be pushed.
Ennis Rakestraw is a former second-round pick in his third NFL season. He can still push for a spot. Nick Whiteside has had a fantastic training camp and has started to push himself into the mix as well.
At safety, it looks like Clark is nearly a lock for one of the safety spots. He has taken the role of Kerby Joseph and will hold onto it unless Joseph comes back.
Maddox and Izien can both move back and forth between the slot and safety. That is why it might make sense to get both on the field. They can mix-and-match and be versatile. However, as the days of training camp continue, this appears to be the spot with all of the attention.
Lions Have to Figure Out Slot and Safety Roles on Defense
Izien just returned to practice from an illness and immediately moved into the slot with the first team. This is notable because the team had been giving Roger McCreary work with the first-team before that. They even mixed Rakestraw in at times.
McCreary has fallen back to number two in the slot, but could still make a push. The team also has rookie Keith Abney, who is slowly climbing the depth chart in the nickel. So, Izien is not locked in by any stretch.
Izien might be getting slot work because the safety role that Brian Branch plays requires it. Maddox has slot experience, and the team said they are comfortable enough with him in the slot that he needs to focus on safety. Perhaps once Izien adjusts to the slot in this defense, he will fall back to safety and push Maddox to start.
Then, it would be Izien and Maddox at safety and McCreary with Abney in the slot. Lastly, it would be Ya-Sin and Rakestraw on the outside. Still, there is plenty of shuffling the team can do, and versatility might help these Lions see the field.
Insider Reveals Lions’ Likely Week 1 Secondary