Arguably the No. 1 thing on the Detroit Lions’ to-do list this offseason was upgrading the defense. The team managed to go 9-8 last season despite having a defense that ranked 28th in points allowed and 32nd in yardage.
That speaks volumes for how well the offense played that the Lions were able to finish above the .500 mark. But, if the team wants to truly make some noise this upcoming season, the defense needs to improve.
General manager Brad Holmes made numerous moves to ensure that occurs. The secondary that ranked 30th in passing yards allowed in 2022 was revamped. Jeff Okudah, Mike Hughes, Amani Oruwariye and DeShon Elliott were all traded or moved on in free agency.
In their place, the Lions signed Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. All three will help immensely, but one player in the secondary has stood out this offseason; cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu.
Melifonwu was one of the only holdovers from last season, as he was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Syracuse. Injuries have marred the start of his career, similar to Okduah, who was traded to the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. Melifonwu has appeared in only 17 games in two seasons, making five starts.
In those appearances, he has totaled 29 tackles with five passes defended. Certainly not eye-popping stats as he has yet to cement himself as a pro. But, that is something he is looking to change heading into Year 3, as Melifonwu has been a standout this offseason.
“So, this is one of the few times that we’ve had him for a significant amount of time, consistently, consecutively, and so that in itself is paying dividends right now,” head coach Dan Campbell said during minicamp. “So, we see growth. … He just needs time. He needs time on task, he needs reps, like a lot of young guys do.”
The Lions also had the decision to switch Melifonwu’s position this offseason. He is no longer taking snaps at cornerback, instead transitioning to the safety position. It is something that he is taking well to as he has been healthy enough to participate in all of the team’s offseason activities.
Only 24 years old, there is still time for Melifonwu to grow and develop into a good player at this level. The Lions are certainly hoping that the position change brings something out of him and the early results have been positive.
If he continues performing at this level in training camp, there should be snaps available for him during the regular season.
