The Detroit Lions open their preseason tonight against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the first thing worth watching is not the rookies or the roster bubble. It’s the safety group.
With Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch out, Detroit is going to give fans an early look at the plan behind the plan - the group expected to hold things together if those injuries linger into the regular season. That means the spotlight falls on “Legion of Whom” holdovers Avonte Maddox and Thomas Harper, along with new additions Chuck Clark and Christian Izien.
Clark brings the most experience of the bunch. He has started 80 of his 123 career games and has spent most of his NFL life with the Baltimore Ravens before recent stops with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. So far in camp, he’s drawn praise for the kind of veteran presence and instincts that can steady a defense.
Izien is in his fourth NFL season after spending his entire career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s expected to work more in a nickelback role, and he’s already made his presence felt in camp with an interception. That’s nothing new for him, either - he picked off Jared Goff in the Lions’ 2024 matchup against the Buccaneers, a game Tampa Bay won.
Maddox appears to be the one sitting highest on the depth chart, and he’s done enough in camp to back that up. The Lions are hoping he can keep delivering if he has to step in for Branch, especially after starting three of the final four games of the 2025 season.
Last season, Maddox posted a 79.1 grade on Pro Football Focus, which ranked 10th among 98 qualified safeties. In those three starts, he was the Lions’ second-highest graded defensive player in two games - with marks of 84.9 and 83.2 - and the lowest-graded in the other at 42.4. All three came against playoff teams, and that 83.2 showing came against eventual MVP Matthew Stafford.
The test tonight will be a real one, even if it’s only for a drive or two. The Bengals are expected to roll out most of their starters on offense, including Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. That’s a lot of firepower for any secondary, let alone one trying to answer questions at safety.
It may be too early for sweeping judgments, but it’s still the kind of preseason snap that can tell you plenty. Detroit’s safety group is going to be attacked, and Burrow is exactly the kind of quarterback who can make that look ugly fast if the coverage isn’t right.
If the Lions’ replacement plan holds up against Cincinnati, that would go a long way toward calming concerns while Joseph and Branch recover. And it would give Detroit some confidence that the “Legion of Whom” can do more than just survive - it can help carry the defense into Week 1.
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