Detroit Lions 2026 NFL Draft Need Analysis: Safety injury report
The Lions have some medical concerns at the safety position. Should they take a safety early in the NFL Draft?
The 2026 NFL Draft is fast approaching which makes it a good time to review the Lions' positional needs and how it may impact their draft strategy. Last year, defensive tackle got the biggest combined need score , and the Lions indeed filled that position in the 1st round with Tyleik Williams. For the complete defensive positional breakdown, read Detroit Lions 2026 Draft Needs: DEFENSE Positional Rankings + Injury Impact.
For the offensive positional breakdown, read Detroit Lions 2026 Draft Needs: OFFENSE Positional Rankings + Injury Impact. The following is the review of the Lions' safety position. The combined need score is the summation of positional need (0-5) plus medical concern level (0-5).
The higher the score, the greater the need. I’m reserving the focus to the starters and key backups here, with health of the starters weighted more heavily. (In parentheses are player age at the start of the 2026 season, signed-through year, and medical concern level.
) *Projected starters. Safety Kerby Joseph (25, 2029, 10/10) - The knee issue that wiped out most of 2025 is a major concern. The Lions can hope he recovers, but can’t count on it.