The plan for Brian Branch and the Lions after his return may have just revealed itself, or at least it should be this
The Detroit Lions have spent all summer searching for an answer at one spot on defense — and they still don’t appear to have one. But with Brian Branch nearing his return, the solution might already be sitting right in front of them. Here’s the move Detroit should make.
The Detroit Lions have a nickel cornerback problem right now, and the solution might already be on their roster. Training camp has turned the nickel position into a revolving door, with Roger McCreary, Christian Izien, Keith Abney, and Ennis Rakestraw all competing for reps. None of them have separated from the pack, and the Lions need answers before the regular season arrives.
Coming into training camp, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard spoke so highly of McCreary that he felt like a lock for the job. Fast forward to mid-August, and some are wondering whether McCreary will even make the 53-man roster. That’s a dramatic shift for a player who seemed like a sure thing just weeks ago.
The nickel competition is wide open
Izien has been getting looks at nickel, and he’s solid against the run. That’s always been his strength. But he’s struggled in coverage at times, which is exactly what A to Z Sports’ Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat writer Evan Winter warned about when Izien came over. Then on Sunday, Abney, the rookie who was projected as a second-round pick before sliding to the fifth round, got the majority of nickel reps with the first team. So now the question becomes whether this rookie is ready.
Rakestraw was supposed to get some inside looks early in camp alongside his work on the outside, per coach Dan Campbell. But Rakestraw has been wildly inconsistent. He has a bad preseason game, comes back on Saturday with a great day, then you don’t hear anything about him on Sunday. Campbell mentioned last week that Rakestraw needs to string some good days together, and that hasn’t happened yet.
Why this position matters so much for Detroit
This is a spot the Lions need to be good at. Their defensive philosophy demands quality coverage. Detroit wants to stop the run first and foremost, then generate sacks through tight coverage that forces quarterbacks to hold the ball longer. They’re not a defense built around getting to the quarterback fast. They’d like that, sure, but their approach is to blanket receivers downfield and let the pressure come as a byproduct.
That’s why all the “time to pressure” and “time to throw” talk that became popular among Lions fans and podcasters this summer can be misleading. The Lions are almost purposely giving quarterbacks time because they trust their coverage to hold up. And for that to work, the nickel corner has to be reliable.
Campbell was asked about the situation on Monday, and here’s what he said:
“I think we’re giving them all an opportunity, and we’ve used nickels for different jobs here depending on what the situation is. And so that’s some of it. It’s also, man, who’s your best cover guy? Who’s your best In the box player, who’s your best blitzer? And who’s your best processor? The guy who’s going to put out fires for you. Is just headsy, gets it. So I think that’s why we’re rotating a lot of guys. We’re trying to figure out who can do what. And it’s kind of the same thing. Once you figure that out, then you need those guys to play together, you know, get these safeties together, get the corners together. We got )D.J.) Reed back. Rock’s (Ya-Sin) doing a good job. And those other guys and kind of piece it together and let them play.”
The real answer is Brian Branch
You want one guy who can do everything at nickel, whether it’s blitz, cover, defend the run, and process at a high level? That player is Brian Branch.
Go back to 2023 and 2024, when Branch played nickel cornerback. He was great at it. Great at run defense, great in coverage, and he was even getting sacks as a pass rusher. Branch can do all the things Campbell listed as requirements for the position.
The Lions moved Branch to safety last season, and he played there for the most part. But the depth at safety is strong enough to absorb that move back. Thomas Harper, Chuck Clark, Avonte Maddox, and Izien can all play safety. Kerby Joseph should be back at some point soon. The back end has options. The nickel spot does not, unless Branch slides back inside.
Campbell mentioned at the start of training camp that the team expected Branch back around mid to late August. We’re sitting in that window right now. When he returns, the best move Detroit can make is putting him back at nickel. It solves the biggest question mark on their defense and lets the rest of the secondary sort itself out at safety.
Let’s see what happens.
Detroit Lions News