Why didn't Detroit Lions draft safety? Brad Holmes explains

TL;DR

The Detroit Lions did not draft a safety during the NFL Draft, as GM Brad Holmes stated it wasn't due to the health concerns of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. Both players are recovering from injuries but are expected to return to form.

Key points

Lions did not draft a safety in the NFL Draft
Brad Holmes stated health concerns were not the reason
Branch and Joseph are recovering from significant injuries

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions addressed every position on defense but one during this week's NFL Draft, but Lions general manager Brad Holmes said the decision to pass on safety help had nothing to do with the health of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph.

"It wasn’t that we intentionally didn’t draft a safety because we feel good about them," Holmes said. "I feel like they’re both trending in the right direction, but it just didn’t line up, just like it hasn’t lined up at other positions in the past."

Both Branch and Joseph are returning from season-ending injuries and it's unclear if either will be on the field for the start of the regular season this fall.

Branch tore his Achilles tendon last December, an injury that usually requires a nine- to 12-month recovery, while Joseph missed the final 11 games of the year with a degenerative knee injury.

When healthy, Branch and Joseph give the Lions one of the best safety tandems in the NFL. Branch made his first Pro Bowl in 2024 and had 75 tackles and 2½ sacks in 12 games last year. Joseph has 20 interceptions in 55 career games and was a first-team All-Pro selection two years ago.

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Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31), left, and safety Brian Branch (32) celebrate a play against Chicago Bears during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024.

The Lions signed Joseph to a long-term contract that made him the game's highest-paid safety last spring and hope to sign Branch to a similar deal this offseason.

Along with Branch and Joseph, the Lions return veterans Thomas Harper and Avonte Maddox at safety and signed Christian Izien and Chuck Clark this offseason.

"We didn’t ignore it [in the draft]," Holmes said. "There were some good ones that were out there that just got picked before we were able to, but it just didn’t quite line up. And I didn’t really think that class was as deep, either, so it had to line up and you had to strike right."

Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him atdbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him onBluesky,XandInstagramat @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Brad Holmes explains why Detroit Lions didn't take safety in NFL Draft

Q&A

Why did the Detroit Lions not draft a safety in the NFL Draft?

The Lions' GM Brad Holmes explained that the decision was not related to the health of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, but rather that it simply didn't align with their draft strategy.

What injuries are Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph recovering from?

Brian Branch is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, while Kerby Joseph is dealing with a degenerative knee injury that caused him to miss the last 11 games of the previous season.

How effective are Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph when healthy?

When healthy, Branch and Joseph form one of the best safety tandems in the NFL, with Branch being a Pro Bowl player and Joseph having 20 interceptions in his career.