Dan Campbell revealed where the Lions are looking for safety help, and there are 5 intriguing options sitting out there
With Maddox out for the season and Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph still sidelined, Detroit is exploring practice squads around the league for players who can help immediately.
The Detroit Lions safety room just got a lot thinner. Safety Avonte Maddox is officially out for the season with a foot injury that will require surgery, leaving Detroit with a secondary that was already thin on depth in an even tougher spot heading into Week 3. Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday that the team will be looking at practice squads around the league for young, up-and-coming safeties who can come in and contribute.
It’s not a bad idea. As I’ve said a million times and I’ll say a million more, it’s only Week 2, and no team is going to trade away a starting safety or cornerback right now. It’s just not going to happen, not even if you call them with a first-round pick. Teams want to see what they have first. That’s why the trade deadline is so late in the year. Why would anybody want to trade a starter right now?
With that in mind, let’s talk about some practice squad players around the league who could help Detroit.
Taylor Rapp, Denver Broncos
Rapp is the most experienced true safety on this list. He has 72 career starts, 12 interceptions, and a Super Bowl ring from his time with the Rams. He could play deep, come down into the box, and handle some of the physical responsibilities the Lions normally ask Brian Branch to take on. If Detroit wants someone who has actually been a full-time starter, Rapp is the clearest option sitting on a practice squad.
The obvious concern is his knee. Rapp suffered a season-ending injury with Buffalo last year, and the Lions would have to be comfortable with where he is physically. If he’s healthy enough to play, this isn’t some inexperienced player you’re hoping can survive. Rapp has played meaningful snaps in big games. He also has a connection to general manager Brad Holmes from their time with the Rams. That doesn’t automatically mean the Lions will want him, but familiarity could make it easier for Detroit to determine whether he can help right now.
Geno Stone, Buffalo Bills
Stone is the other legitimate starting safety available through this route. He has 53 career starts and 14 interceptions. This is real production. He intercepted seven passes for Baltimore in 2023 and then started all 34 games during his two seasons with the Bengals. If the Lions want someone with experience playing on the back end who could potentially create takeaways, Stone checks both boxes.
There is a reason a player with that resume is on a practice squad, though. Stone led the NFL with 26 missed tackles last season, and that’s not a small concern for a Lions defense that has already had problems getting off the field. Still, Detroit wouldn’t necessarily need him to become a long-term starter. They need someone who understands NFL coverages, can communicate on the back end, and won’t be overwhelmed if he has to play immediately. Stone has done all of that before, and you can’t say that about most practice squad players.
Kaevon Merriweather, Jacksonville Jaguars
Merriweather is probably my favorite option if the Lions want someone who can help now but still has room to become more. He’s 26 years old, has played in 43 games, and has made seven starts. He spent most of his first three seasons with Tampa Bay and finished 2025 with Houston. He has experience playing defense and special teams.
He’s not walking into Allen Park with the resume of Rapp or Stone, but he also isn’t a complete projection. There’s a local element here, too. Merriweather is from Belleville and played his college football at Iowa. More importantly, he fits the type of player Detroit usually looks for. He’s experienced, physical, versatile, and has been a contributor on special teams. The Lions could sign him without feeling like they’re locking themselves into a short-term rental. If he earns a role, he’s still young enough to become part of the safety room beyond the next couple of years. It resembles the Thomas Harper situation for me. You get a young player who is probably just looking for a new home.
Russ Yeast, Cincinnati Bengals
Yeast sits in that middle ground between veteran and developmental option. He’s 27 years old and has nine NFL starts, all of them coming during his first two seasons with the Rams. He was drafted after Holmes left Los Angeles for Detroit, but the Lions should still have plenty of information on him through Holmes’ relationships with the organization.
Yeast isn’t going to generate the same excitement as Rapp or Stone, but he could give Detroit something it needs. Competent depth from a player who has been on an NFL field. He can contribute on special teams, he played meaningful defensive snaps, and he shouldn’t need months to understand what is being asked of him. Sometimes the move isn’t about finding a star. Sometimes it’s about finding someone who allows everybody else to stay in a role where they are most comfortable.
Sebastian Castro, Pittsburgh Steelers
Castro is the developmental swing on this list. He doesn’t have an NFL start, but he was a really interesting player at Iowa because of how many different things he could do. He played safety, worked in the slot, came down into the box, and showed the willingness to hit. He’s not the biggest or fastest defensive back in the league, but he plays with instincts and physicality.
That’s where the Lions fit comes in. Detroit loves defensive backs who can move around, play special teams, and handle multiple responsibilities. Castro isn’t someone I would sign and immediately expect to start against an elite offense. This would be more about getting a young player into the building and seeing what you can develop. He has some of the same positional flexibility the Lions value in Branch and Izien, and Pittsburgh can’t stop Detroit from signing him if the Lions are willing to put him on the 53-man roster.
The good thing here is that the Lions don’t have to sign just one practice squad player. They can sign as many as they want and poach them onto the 53, and they’ve got space for it. But if it’s my money, I’m going after Merriweather. You get a guy who is young but can also play right now, and that’s the kind of move that could pay off well beyond 2026.
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