Detroit Lions, NFC North Positional Previews: Safeties
Leading up to training camps, SideLion Report previews position groups for the Detroit Lions, and the rest of the NFC North. Today, we look at safeties.
Safety is not necessarily one of the most coveted positions in today’s NFL. So much emphasis is placed, and rightly so, on disrupting aerial attacks with relentless pass rushes and sticky cornerback play. The Detroit Lions and the rest of the NFC North, however, are pinning some serious hopes on the play of their safeties in 2019.
On any given defensive snap, safeties can often go unnoticed, unless they are making a splashy play close to the line of scrimmage, or breaking up a deep passing play, well past the sticks. The NFC North though contains some of the conference’s more versatile players at the position, capable of making plays at all three levels. Many players have come and gone this offseason in each team’s safety unit, and today we’ll examine their outlook, starting with the Lions:
Detroit Lions
Key Returning Players: Quandre Diggs, Tracy Walker, Tavon Wilson,
New Additions: Andrew Adams, Will Harris (Rookie)
Key Losses: Glover Quin
It will undoubtedly be strange seeing the Lions’ defense take the field in 2019 seeing someone not named Glover Quin don the number 27. Quin was a staple at safety for the Detroit Lions for the last six seasons, providing leadership, game-changing playmaking (19 interceptions) and stability – he started every single game for the Lions over those six years. An incredible accomplishment.
After dodging retirement queries in the offseason, things started to go downhill for Quin in 2018. A combination of wear and tear, adapting to a third defensive scheme in six seasons and a reduced role late in the season took its toll, and Quin was released in February. He leaves a noticeable hole in the defensive backfield, and in the leadership department.
In his absence, converted cornerback Quandre Diggs will be relied upon as the de facto leader of the shifting safety rotation; he’s one of the defense’s longest tenured members. Diggs isn’t elite, but he makes plays (six interceptions over the last two years, including this one), and is one of the most punishing hitters on the team. He should be one of the Lions’ most important defensive players this year, as he can play in the slot, play deep or lurk near the line of scrimmage.
Across from Diggs, second-year man Tracy Walker is the most likely candidate to step in at free safety following Quin’s departure. After being something of an unknown coming out of Louisiana in last year’s draft, Walker was brought along slowly as a rookie, but showed much promise, and he could be in for a breakout season. He is long, smart and has great instincts. The Lions are looking for big things from Walker in 2019.
Behind these two, the situation becomes a little less clear, but there is a variety of options. The Lions moved up in the third round of this year’s to select Will Harris, who played for Lions defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni at Boston College. Like Diggs, Harris is a versatile, aggressive player, but will likely have to cut his teeth on special teams as a rookie.
Veteran Tavon Wilson, a favorite of head coach Matt Patricia, returns as a steady presence and solid run defender. Free agent signee Andrew Adams had a game to remember last year in a Week 13 win over the Carolina Panthers, picking off quarterback Cam Newton three times. He was unremarkable overall though, posting a grade of just 59.4 based on Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) advanced player grading system. These two could be competing for one roster spot.
The Lions don’t have a dominant, game-changing playmaker at safety, but there’s some solid depth, and expectations are high for Walker. The opportunity is there for him to make a sizable jump from year one to year two, and help make this unit a strength for Detroit.