Detroit Lions fans might've been a little surprised this morning to see that both Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch had made ESPN's top-10 list of safeties in the NFL. The list, compiled through surveys of executives, coaches, and scouts, features Branch as the 4th best safety in the NFL headed into 2026, and Joseph as the 9th.
You could assume that, if either or both were healthy headed into training camp, they'd likely comprise the top-3 or top-5 of this list as a tandem. That's just how talented they are, but unfortunately, their distance on this ranking just goes to show how much their respective injuries are impacting the perception of their effectiveness on the field.
Wrote ESPN's Jeremy Fowler of Branch:
"...Branch was plenty productive while he played, posting a 1.9% pass breakup percentage, which ranked third among safeties. He played snaps in the slot but mostly at safety, and he added 2.5 sacks and five quarterback hits. He was one of two defensive backs with at least five passes defended, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks."
And, on Joseph:
"It's hard to knock Joseph's impact when healthy. The production on a per-game basis is impressive. He has 20 interceptions and 35 pass deflections in 52 career games. In 2025, he defended four of the eight targets in his area, qualifying for a 50.0% ball hawk rate, tops among safeties (NFL Next Gen Stats)."
Lions safety tandem still earning praise despite injury concerns
Headed into this season, it seems like Detroit is resigned to the fact that they'll need to be starting their backups in Week 1 because of Joseph and Branch's injuries. Joseph's status is a little murkier, because he played a bit in 2025 before the team decided to place him on the IR with a knee injury. As for Branch, it was pretty cut and dry - he tore his achilles, and the team is going to be cautious about returning him back to play.
Chuck Clark and Christian Izien were getting starters snaps in OTAs and minicamp, so they'll likely be starting in Week 1. Ideally, though, you could have Joseph and Clark starting while Branch continues his rehab, and Izien could be a versatile defensive back that backs up the safety room and the cornerback room.
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A healthy safety room can and will go a long way for a Lions defense that has another huge question mark above their secondary right now. Their cornerback room is thin after releasing Terrion Arnold following his recent arrest, and they have to hope that both veterans like Rock Ya-Sin and Roger McCreary can step up to replace his production. They also have Avonte Maddox and rookie Keith Abney II ready to also step up.
At minimum, the return of Joseph can clearly be impactful enough to help elevate the rest of the Lions defense.
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