The Detroit Lions’ secondary is handing out a real chance this summer, and Thomas Harper looks like one of the clearest beneficiaries.
Detroit finished with 13 interceptions in 2025, with Kerby Joseph picking off three passes despite an injury-shortened season and D.J. Reed adding two in another year cut short by injury. Harper chipped in as well, and that one takeaway may end up mattering more than it first looked.
The safety is back in camp this year as part of last season’s “Legion of Whom” group that survived the offseason, and his path to a bigger role has opened up. Harper, Rock Ya-Sin and Nick Whiteside could wind up playing much larger roles on the Lions defense in 2026 than anyone expected, especially with injuries in the safety room and the release of Terrion Arnold changing the picture.
For Harper, the timing is ideal. There’s an open competition at safety, and that gives him a real runway to raise his stock.
He told MLive’s Kory Woods that his focus this offseason has been on trimming the mistakes that showed up in his game last year, especially not always staying with his assignment in Kelvin Sheppard’s defense and choosing between going for the interception or settling for a batted pass.
“Like, am I playing through the man, or am I going to get a pick? Knowing what to do in this scenario. I think just improving that part of my game, which comes with time and experience.
“The main thing for me is not repeating the same mistakes that I did last year and just building upon that.”
Harper’s lone interception came with some uneven coverage work around it, and one of the roughest moments came against the Green Bay Packers in a key divisional game on Thanksgiving. According to Woods’ reporting, that play is still sticking with Harper as he trains in Tennessee before heading back to Michigan for camp.
That’s where the opportunity really lives for him. The Lions’ safety group is the biggest opening on the roster for someone to step in behind Joseph and Brian Branch, and Harper is in that mix even with Chuck Clark and Christian Izien reportedly taking starter snaps during OTAs and minicamp.
Sheppard and Dan Campbell have made the same point all offseason: nothing is settled. Competition is everywhere, cuts are coming, and a practice squad still has to be built.
Detroit wants clarity on this defense, and camp is where that gets sorted out. Harper has a chance to turn an up-and-down 2025 into something much bigger.
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Sam LaPorta Just Put Lions Fans In A Tough Spot
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What makes that placement especially notable is how efficient LaPorta was when he was on the field in 2025. His yards after the catch and catch rate were among the best at the position, which only adds to the frustration of seeing his year cut short. Dan Campbell said LaPortas rehab is moving in the right direction and that he should be available for training camp, which gives Detroit a reason to feel better even as the bigger question lingers. [Read more 🡒]