All-NFC North Team: Lions' Safeties Have More To Prove

Why was Kerby Joseph left off All-NFC North team?

Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31). / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions' secondary is vastly improved with several newcomers ahead of the 2024 season. However, one of the returning players will play a big role in the team's success.

Third-year safety Kerby Joseph has eight career interceptions over his first two NFL campaigns. With some questions about how the Lions will assemble their secondary, Detroit will have a stable piece in Joseph.

However, Joseph narrowly missed out on representing the Lions on the All-NFC North team. Joseph finished third at the position in a vote conducted by team publishers across the division. He was beat out by Green Bay's Xavier McKinney and Minnesota's Harrison Smith.

Here are the first team All-NFC North selections at the position, along with insight on how they'll impact their team in 2024.

First team: Xavier McKinney

Last year, the Packers went into the playoffs with the duo of former first-round pick Darnell Savage and veteran Jonathan Owens as the starting safeties. Combined in the regular season, they had zero interceptions and four passes defensed. Not individually for the month of December. Combined. For the season.

GM Brian Gutekunst nuked that group. Gone are Savage, Owens and another veteran, Rudy Ford. In their place are McKinney and three draft picks. The big addition was McKinney, who signed a four-year, $67 million contract in free agency after a tremendous final season with the Giants of three interceptions, 11 passes defensed and 116 tackles.

When Jeff Hafley was hired as defensive coordinator, he was asked about what he looked for in a safety. He mentioned sideline-to-sideline range. The versatility to play deep and in the box. The skill to play man coverage. The desire to tackle. The ability to be the quarterback of the secondary.

“I’m describing the perfect player to you,” Hafley concluded.

McKinney might not be perfect, but he is a tremendous all-around talent who checks all those boxes. Still just 25, he’s an excellent playmaker in the passing game and one of the best tacklers in the business among safeties. According to PFF, he ranked fourth among safeties in passer rating allowed and sixth in missed-tackle percentage.

Without playing a single snap in Green Bay, he might be the team’s best safety since Nick Collins helped the team win the Super Bowl in 2010.

All-NFC North Team: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Offensive Line,Defensive Line, Linebackers, Cornerbacks

First team: Harrison Smith

It's amazing that Smith is still known as one of the best safeties in the league even though he's played 12 years and was mulling retirement before deciding to return for his 13th season at 34 years old. How many guys who play hard-hitting positions that require speed and quickness can maintain a high level of play for a dozen-plus years? 

Smith's career should be considered at a level similar to the best safeties in NFL history, including Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed, Brian Dawkins and Ronnie Lott. For context, Polamalu is a consensus top-five safety in NFL history and Smith has him beat in interceptions (34 to 32) and sacks (19.5 to 12), and he's breathing down Polamalu's neck in forced fumbles (12 to 14). 

The numbers speak for themselves, but the thing Smith does that goes unheralded is lead and mentor the back end of a defense that quietly has two of the better young safeties in the league ––Josh Metellus and Cam Bynum–– who are ready to take on huge roles in 2024 and eventually fill Smith's void when he decides to walk away from the game.