The Detroit Lions safety room is one of the most unsettled units, not only on the roster, but across the NFL. However, if head coach Dan Campbell has anything to say about it, that is a good problem to have, and not a problem. Campbell was adamant that he likes where the safety room is right now, citing the depth and competition, making him confident.
Campbell listed three players as potential options competing and then noted three others that are coming back into the mix. The combination of youth and veterans excites him about the room that is much deeper than years past.
The six names he mentioned did not include Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. Campbell said that while he feels good about the room, he knows the two starters are recovering from injuries and that they are hopeful about Joseph and patient with Branch.
The Detroit Lions Have a Wide Open Safety Room
GettyDetroit Lions safety Chuck Clark.
According to Campbell, until Branch and Joseph can show that they are healthy, the team is going to lean into Chuck Clark, Avonte Maddox, and Christian Izien.
Clark is entering his ninth NFL season. He has started for three different teams in the past four years, and last started five games for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025. He is a versatile weapon with 2,132 free safety snaps and 1,853 box snaps. However, entering his age-31 season means that his ceiling is a bit tapped out.
Maddox could be viewed as the Branch replacement, because he has 1,910 snaps in the slot, compared to 920 snaps as a safety. He can shuffle back and forth as Branch did, and he was on the Lions roster last year, which helps him compared to someone like Clark. Maddox has 44 starts in eight seasons. While he is mainly depth, he did start three games for the Lions last year.
Izien is younger, with just three years of NFL experience. He has 15 starts over that time, but he only started one game last year. Izien also has experience in the slot and as a safety. However, he went from 718 snaps as a rookie to 697 the following year, and then in 2025, he only played 167 snaps.
These three have enough versatility and experience that Campbell thinks they can hold things down until Branch, Joseph, or both return.
Lions Have a Deeper Safety Room Than Years Past
Campbell also mentioned the depth being much better. Dan Jackson, Thomas Harper, and Loren Strickland were noted as names that the coach is enthusiastic about.
Jackson was a rookie UDFA last year. He suffered a leg injury, and despite missing the entire season, Campbell still has high hopes in year two. Harper started nine games last year for the Lions, but a concussion had sidelined him through the end of the year. Now, the team is hoping he can return as depth. Lastly, Strickland is entering his third year in the NFL. He spent the first two years on the Lions’ practice squad, and the team wants to see his growth.
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