Safety Room Looking Better Than Expected
Look, we’ve been burned before by thinking depth chart spots were locked up, but the safety situation might actually be in decent shape. The Lions didn’t just throw darts at the board this offseason.
Thomas Harper and Avonte Maddox were Pro Football Focus’s 10th and 11th-highest graded safeties last year. Chuck Clark has 80 starts at safety in the NFL. Christian Izien is a versatile safety on the rise with plenty of starts in his three-year career.
When Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are healthy, this depth becomes even more valuable. Some of these guys like Maddox and Izien can move around and play cornerback too. That’s the kind of flexibility Brad Holmes loves to build into his roster.
Tyleik Williams Ready for Year Two Leap
Here’s the thing about Tyleik Williams. He’s built just like Alim McNeill as a player, and he’ll probably follow a similar career arc. McNeill didn’t start much as a rookie, became a full-time starter in year two, and really broke out in year three.
Williams has one major advantage McNeill didn’t have early on. He’s surrounded by a much better defensive line. With Aidan Hutchinson, McNeill, Derrick Moore, and D.J. Wonnum drawing attention, Williams should get some favorable matchups.
The question isn’t whether he can run stuff and eat space. It’s whether he can get to the quarterback when the opportunity presents itself.
The RB3 Battle Nobody’s Talking About
This might be the most underrated camp battle we’ll see. Everyone assumes it’s Sione Vaki’s job to lose, but Jacob Saylors has a real shot to shake things up. There’s also Jabari Small and Kye Robichaux in the mix.
The real battle comes down to Saylors versus Vaki. It’s going to come down to special teams value. Vaki is great in the tackling department, but Saylors has shown he can be a reliable return man.
Right now, leaning toward Vaki because he might be able to return kicks as well, on top of being a sure tackler. But preseason should be fun for this one.
The Derrick Barnes Question
Honestly, what do fans have against Derrick Barnes? Yes, the Jameis Winston thing was embarrassing. Other than that, he’s been solid and exactly what the Lions want him to be. A reliable run defender who can drop into coverage when needed.
You can argue 2025 wasn’t his best season, but he wasn’t very far off from where Alex Anzalone was in 2025. Plus, Barnes is nearly five years younger than Anzalone. Barnes is still just 27.
Barnes isn’t making crazy money, and the Lions wanted to get younger. Anzalone’s play had been declining. It’s that simple.
Luke Altmyer Buzz Check
There’s potential here, but fans need to temper expectations for what that potential actually means. Some people are thinking he’s the next Brock Purdy and could be a starter someday. Anything can happen, but that’s a long shot right now.
Altmyer’s realistic ceiling is shocking everyone and beating Teddy Bridgewater. That’s actually a pretty high ceiling. What he can realistically do in 2026 is convince the Lions they need to carry three quarterbacks.
Before we get carried away, we need to see him at training camp and preseason with pads on and a real pass rush coming his way. Until then, it’s pajama stuff.
Scheme Changes Coming on Defense
We should definitely be seeing more nickel packages in 2026. Kelvin Sheppard already talked about this recently, saying the nickel position is critical and they want to expand how much volume they use it.
With Anzalone gone, we should see a lot less three-linebacker sets. The Lions’ scheme as a whole should be different all over in 2026. We just won’t know how different until training camp opens up and we start seeing what they’re actually doing on the field.
Is Brad Holmes quietly building the deepest roster this franchise has ever had or are we just setting ourselves up for another classic Lions letdown? Drop your thoughts below.
I’m actually feeling really good about the depth we’re building at safety. Having actual NFL starters who can move around and play multiple positions is exactly what Holmes should be doing. When Branch and Joseph are healthy on top of that, we’re looking at a secondary that can actually compete week to week without getting gassed.
Look I get the Tyleik Williams hype but let’s not act like having a better defensive line guarantees he becomes something he’s not. The dude’s gotta prove he can actually rush the passer and that’s way harder than eating blocks on the interior. I hope he balls out in year two but I’m not counting my chickens yet.
The nickel package shift makes sense with what I’ve seen in modern football. The game’s changed a ton from back in my day and Holmes is adapting the defense to that. Getting away from three linebacker sets and being more flexible is smart. This ain’t your old Lions trotting out the same thing every week.
Derrick Barnes gets way too much hate honestly. The Jameis thing was ridiculous but the guy’s a solid defensive player who does his job. Barnes is still young and has room to grow, way better to move forward with him than overpay for a vet on the decline. Brad knows what he’s doing here.