Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke with reporters during OTAs on Tuesday, touching on topics ranging from the Lions’ improved secondary depth to the performance of rookie offensive lineman Giovanni Manu.
Campbell’s team is a favorite to win the NFC North for the second straight year, a prospect that has him thinking Super Bowl.
On Tuesday, Campbell spotlighted a player he believes could take a big leap forward this season: Brandon Joseph, who signed with the Lions out of Notre Dame as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
Campbell said that Joseph has “noticeably improved” from last year and has what it takes to “thrive” at the safety position in defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s defense.
“In this defense, if you can understand conceptually what an offense is doing, and the freedom you have at the safety position…You can thrive at the safety position in our defense,” Campbell said, according to reporter Nolan Bianchi.
Joseph has the size at 6-feet, 200 pounds to provide a versatile option as a backup safety, with a frame similar to Lions 2023 rookie sensation Brian Branch.
The ex-Fighting Irish defender played his first three seasons of college ball with the Northwestern Wildcats from 2019 to 2021 before transferring to Notre Dame. He intercepted six passes and racked up eight pass deflections in 2020, his best college football season, before recording 15 solo tackles and an interception in his only season with the Irish.
If Joseph’s improvement continues on schedule, he should open the season as the primary backup to star Lions safety Kerby Joseph, who also appeared to predict a Lions Super Bowl appearance prior to last season when he changed his X handle to “Zuper Bowl Kerb.”
The Lions pass rush will be one of the best in the league this season, which will make the secondary appear better than it is and vice-versa.
Last season, former No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson notched 11.5 sacks and led the NFL in quarterback hits. With D.J. Reader clogging up the middle and Hutchinson sharing a bold take on the Lions’ improved confidence, the sky is limit for coach Campbell’s defense in 2024-25.