The Detroit Lions‘ secondary is still one of the most questionable groups in the entire NFL as we get closer to Week 1. Not only is the talent questionable, but the players who will be out there.
Detroit has a battle in the slot, and while they appear to have resolved things at cornerback, the safety position might be a little more fluid.
Avonte Maddox and Chuck Clark are expected to start. However, the Lions have been hinting at a role for Thomas Harper as well. Lions defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend confirmed the team has a plan for Harper.
“Lions DB coach Deshea Townsend confirms what other coaches have been hinting at: safety Thomas Harper will likely get some playing time with both Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox,” tweeted Jeremy Reisman of Lions OnSI.
Harper was a UDFA in 2024 for the Las Vegas Raiders. He signed with the Lions in 2025 and started in nine games last season.
Detroit Lions Expected to Have Role for Thomas Harper In Week 1
Earlier in the week, safeties coach Jim O’Neil told reporters that defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard had a plan for utilizing all three safeties. O’Neil noted that Clark and Maddox will start, but he noted that Harper has a specific skill set that can blend with both.
“He’s the safety that is really good in space; when it comes to tackling, he can go get the ball in the deep part of the field, which is a rare characteristic,” added O’Neil. “I think all three of them are really different. I think they all are going to help us. I think that Shep’s doing an awesome job of putting those three guys in packages where they can be at their best and do what they do best.”
Harper played 482 snaps last season. He played 385 as the deep safety. This might be the role the Lions plan to utilize Harper in.
Meanwhile, Maddox has 3,971 career snaps with 2,844 coming in the slot. He is more of a replacement for Brian Branch with slot versatility. Clark has 5,640 career snaps, with 1,955 as a box safety. This is where he is at his best.
So, in base sets, Clark and Maddox can play split safety. In certain scenarios, Maddox can jump into the slot, Clark to the box, and Harper as a deep safety.
Lions Secondary Undergoing Changes
Those will be the Lions’ top three safeties. As things stand, they will have Rock Ya-Sin as their starting outside cornerback across from D.J. Reed. They also have competition in the slot. They signed Roger McCreary in free agency. He looks like he will get the first chance in the slot.
However, they also have rookie Keith Abney progressing toward having a role early in the season. Between these two and Maddox, the team is going to have a lot of options for how they handle the slot.
How often and when they use Harper will be one of the biggest questions in Week 1. This could continue for most of the year with Branch and Joseph on the PUP.
Lions Coach Confirms Significant Role for Former UDFA