With C.J. Gardner-Johnson departing in free agency, the Detroit Lions will rely on two starting safeties 25 or younger during the 2024 season. But even though he’s only 23, safety Kerby Joseph possesses 29 games of starting experience.

A third-round pick from the 2022 draft, Joseph is entering his third NFL season. Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on August 2 that he expects the young safety to  make a big jump from Year 2 to 3.

“Every year, he’s grown a little bit, and I think, this year, it’s ‘Alright, man. It’s time to become a staple in this defense and become a very consistent player every week,’” Campbell said to the media.

“He’s got the ability. He can track the ball, but [if] he can understand what AG (Aaron Glenn) wants in this defense and how he’s able to mess with those guys a little bit, man, the sky is the limit for him.”

Joseph has already shown that in flashes during his first two NFL seasons. He recorded 4 interceptions in both 2022 and 2023.

In 15 starts during 2023, Joseph also had 82 combined tackles, including 1 tackle for loss and 11 pass defenses.

What Lions Expect From Safety Kerby Joseph in 2024

Gardner-Johnson suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Week 2 of last season. That sidelined him until the regular season finale.

Joseph was expected to start anyway, but with Gardner-Johnson out, Joseph led all Lions safeties in defensive snaps during 2023.

According to the Pro Football Focus player grades, he improved in some key areas, including coverage and tackling. But overall, he scored a PFF defensive grade 7.5 points lower than his rookie season.

Still, Campbell expressed a strong enthusiasm to reporters on August 2 about what steps Joseph can take in 2024.

“When we are doing some of these tackling drills, one of the emphasis was keeping your head up. You see him working on it,” Campbell said. “He’s working on keeping his head up. He had one of the prettiest tackles of all practice in that tackling drills. So, that’s improvement.”

The area where Campbell wants Joseph to improve the most, though, is in his freelance ability at safety.

“His disguises. The intellect of the position and understanding how he can manipulate the offense and the quarterback, he’s evolving,” Campbell added. “That’s good to see because that’s kind of the next step in his growth.”

Lions Safety Depth Heading Into the 2024 Preseason

If things go as expected for the Lions defense, Joseph will become not only the team’s top safety but a leader in the Detroit secondary. While the Lions made a lot of potential upgrades at cornerback, a lot of them were young ones in the NFL draft.

Veteran cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Amik Robertson can be leaders for the Lions secondary. But Joseph has more experience in Aaron Glenn’s defense than either of those veterans.

25-year-old Ifeatu Melifonwu should start at the other safety spot in Detroit. Melifonwu started five games combined in 2021 and 2022 but then became a consistent starter for the Lions at the end of 2023.

Including the playoffs, Melifonwu started the final eight games of last season. He finished with the fourth-best PFF player grade, particularly excelling as a pass rusher, on Detroit’s defense.

The Lions have veteran safeties C.J. Moore and Brandon Joseph for depth. Undrafted free agent safeties Chelen Garnes and Loren Strickland are also on the team’s 90-man roster.