Information Sourced From: Detroit Lions on X, Jalen Mills at PFR, Christian Izien on PFR, RAS, Bishop Fitzgerald on CFR, Detroit Lions Podcast
The Safety Slide
The Lions have been pretty healthy overall, except for one glaring position: Safety. Today, per the Lions official account on X, Thomas Harper was placed on IR with his ankle injury. Add that to Avonte Maddox going to IR earlier, and no Joseph or Branch, and things are rough, to put it bluntly. Thus this leaves the Lions with three players capable of playing safety out of the box. For this Sunday, they are already exercising out of the box thinking, which I’ll get to in a moment, but let’s talk about who will be playing safety this Sunday and what we should expect.
Jalen Mills
Jalen Mills was signed to the Lions practice squad after they brought in a number of DBs for workouts. He was then elevated today to the active roster per the Lions official account on X. Mills comes in his 10th year in the NFL at 32 years old, and spent 3 games with the Lions last year. I wouldn’t expect a ton out of mills. His games as of the last few years have been middling. However, what you can count on is his ability to tackle. His coverage leaves something to be desired, but that doesn’t mean that he will be completely caught off guard on every throw necessarily. He just isn’t what he once was. I would expect him to be a bit further down the depth chart for this game.
Chuck Clark
Thankfully, we are able to count on Chuck Clark to continue in his starting role. Chuck is good in tackling and coverage, and while he may not be quite as speedy as he once was, he has shown he can still play. I would expect a heavy dose of Clark this week, and that should be a good thing, at least for this week.
Christian Izien
Christian Izien is capable of starting in the NFL. He had been playing more nickel for the Lions in camp, but he has played safety primarily before so this should not be too tall a task. I expect that he will start alongside Chuck Clark at Safety, and Roger McCreary will slide into the slot as the starter. Izien has versatility and is younger than the rest of the Safety crew. He should be up to the task, he certainly has the athleticism to play the position effectively, with a RAS of 8.54. His historical numbers show him to be capable in coverage and tackling. He is the right choice to start alongside Clark.
Out of the Box: Keith Abney?
Ok, we’re off the road now. This week I had been working a particularly challenging work week, so I had fallen a bit behind on listening to each of Coach Campbell’s press conferences. A commenter on one of my videos over at Instagram said that Coach was suggesting Abney may play as an emergency Safety option, and it turns out he was right. I actually kind of like this. He is a young kid with athleticism. I’m not saying we should have him anywhere but the bottom of the totem pole, but he has the range to possibly fill in to finish a game if needed.
A New Challenger Has Appeared: Bishop Fitzgerald
Okay, if you know me, or have read my writing for a while, you know I love an underdog. Bishop Fitzgerald was added earlier this week off of the Steeler’s practice squad. While he was undrafted coming out of USC, his tape is fun to watch if nothing else. Jeff Risdon of Detroit Lions Podcast stated that he was touted with “good ball skills, but a soft on the run” coming out of college this year. He was projected to be a fifth round pick but fell. I actually really like his game and think it translates well with the Lions. The question is: Will Brad Holmes pull a rabbit out of his hat and find someone who can contribute on a short week? Only time will tell. (Note: He earned accolades of Consensus All American and First Team All Big Ten last season at USC)
A Move Is In Our Future
A move is certainly in the Lions future. Branch could be back week 7, week 8, if his rehab continues well. Even a 70% Brian Branch will be a big help. Kirby Joseph stated this week that he WILL play in 2026, but who knows what he will have to offer and when. I believe Brad Holmes will make a move before the trade deadline. I don’t know that he will go for a superstar, but someone with starting experience, middle of the road, able to be picked up for perhaps a fourth round pick? I don’t have anyone in mind, I just think that is likely what Brad will be digging for. Brad is up against the wall now, and it’s becoming more likely he will be required to do more than sniping from practice squads.