The Detroit Lions’ secondary is going through it right now.
At cornerback, D.J. Reed and Khalil Dorsey are on injured reserve, Terrion Arnold is expected to miss at least another game, as is nickel corner Avonte
Maddox. That’s not even counting 2024 second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw, who is out for the year with an injury suffered in August.
The situation at safety is just as dire. Brian Branch is suspended for this week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kerby Joseph is certainly in danger of missing this week as he continues to fight off a clearly painful injury.
So here’s what remains of the Lions’ healthy defensive backs on the 53-man roster:
- CB/NB Amik Robertson
- CB Nick Whiteside
- CB/S Rock Ya-Sin
- S Erick Hallett
- S Thomas Harper
- S Jammie Robinson
They also have recently added cornerbacks Tre Flowers, Kendall Fuller, and Arthur Mallett on their practice squad.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
What will the Lions’ secondary look like vs. the Buccaneers?
My answer: Obviously, it’s early in the week and the Lions have not even practiced yet. So consider everything here an educated guess.
At outside cornerback, the only sure thing is Amik Robertson likely playing there in base defense. Last week, they had Rock Ya-Sin at the other starting position, but given the problems at safety this week, it feels like it would be smart to drop him back there, where he played a lot of football during training camp.
That leaves the other outside cornerback spot vacant, and I would not be surprised if the Lions just plugged and played Kendall Fuller, despite the fact that he was signed this week. Fuller has started over 100 games in his career, so there aren’t many defensive schemes and coverages he hasn’t seen a million times in his career.
That leaves a pretty big question at nickel, though. Detroit could simply go back to Mallett, who played there last week. But I’d like to see Robertson kick inside in nickel formations, and then either start Nick Whiteside or Tre Flowers on the outside.
At safety, I’m working under the assumption that both starters are out. Branch’s appeal has been officially denied, and I think it would be smart to give Joseph a couple weeks to let his injury calm down a little. Detroit will need him later in the season, and Joseph wasn’t playing up to his full standard last week.
Instead, I’d like to see Ya-Sin back there with Thomas Harper, who played well as an emergency fill-in last week. Harper is an intriguing young player and a sneaky-good addition from Brad Holmes last month.
So, in short, this is what I’d like to see from the Lions’ secondary on Monday night:
CB1: Amik Robertson
CB2: Kendall Fuller
S: Rock Ya-Sin
S: Thomas Harper
…and in nickel:
CB1: Kendall Fuller
CB2: Tre Flowers/Nick Whiteside
NB: Amik Robertson
S: Rock Ya-Sin
S: Thomas Harper
What lineup would you like to see? Scroll down to the comment section and share your thoughts.
