The Detroit Lions suffered an epidemic of injuries in 2025, and as a result, the decision was made for the franchise to more powerfully restock their depth ahead of this season.
So far after training camp and the preseason, the Lions haven't endured as many injuries spilling over into the season, but there's been a few cases the team needs to remember as they head into Week 1. Fortunately, they may be covered already by their improved depth in each case.
Pro Football Focus analyst Bradley Locker recently put together a list of 10 players in the league who are going to play massive roles in patching injury holes for teams. Not surprisingly, two of the names were from Detroit.
In the defensive backfield, the Lions will be without Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, which could create a tough situation for a roster that depends on both to be the heartbeat of their defense. As Locker notes, however, the Lions have Avonte Maddox ready to step in, who is sneaky effective.
"With both starting safeties out for at least the first four games of 2026, players like Maddox become that much more important. The former Eagle turned heads in reserve work for Detroit last year, generating a 79.1 overall PFF grade over 342 snaps. Impressively, Maddox notched a 75.0-plus grade in both coverage and run defense while primarily operating as the team’s true free safety. If he can sustain that level of play, it will go a long way for Detroit’s battered defense."
Late last season, Maddox was one of the most important players that Detroit had given his ability to play safety in a pinch. He stepped up and steadied the ship. This offseason, the Lions brought him back and also added Chuck Clark and Christian Izien to the mix.
Offensively, without Mays, reserve lineman Juice Scruggs will be called upon to chip in at center. While Scruggs has profiled more at guard in the NFL, his experience snapping the ball should come in handy for the offense. As Locker notes, his best work in the league also just happens to be at center.
"Acquired by the Lions this offseason in the deal for running back David Montgomery, Scruggs has occupied all three interior offensive line slots throughout his pro career, but he only played center in 2024. That season happened to be his best as a pro with a 63.5 overall PFF grade, which placed 17th among qualified centers. Scruggs will look to bounce back in a new ecosystem after a trying 2025 saw him earn a 40.5 PFF run-blocking grade and let up 11 pressures on 202 opportunities."
Obviously, the Lions will have to hope their injured players return and health holds elsewhere on the roster, but for right now, these players are an effective way for the franchise to bridge the gap.
Brad Holmes has faith in healthy return of Branch and Joseph this year
Whereas it seems like a lock that Mays will be back around or after Week 4, the timetable for Branch and Joseph is far more up in the air. Both will start the season on IR, and it seems each is feeling better as they work their way back from leftover ailments sustained in 2025.
In spite of that, Holmes admitted he still feels good about where the pair stands heading into the season. They continue to hang around the building for rehab, and have been putting in plenty of work to feel better and return at some point this year.
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"We still have confidence that they can come back. You just can't really give a exact timeline. But yeah, they're both here. They're rehabbing. They're working hard. Just can't offer a timeline, but yeah, the hope is to have both of them back at some point."
Plenty of Lions fans likely feel trepidation about the future of Branch and Joseph, but all they can do is wait and see what happens. It's possible each will come back to play a major role in the defense by the end of the year.
Until then, the Lions are lucky to have Maddox around to fill the void on defense. Along with Scruggs on the other side of the ball, the duo figures to be two of the more important players few are thinking about to start 2026.
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