Examining How Lions Should Handle Safety Rotation

How will Lions utilize Melifonwu, Gardner-Johnson?

The Detroit Lions will have a decision ahead of them in the secondary when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson returns to action. 

Gardner-Johnson, who has been on injured reserve since Week 2 with a torn pec, is nearing a return, and could see action as soon as this Saturday against Dallas. His presence will be a welcome one, but the recent emergence of Ifeatu Melifonwu complicates matters to an extent. 

Melifonwu has surged the last two weeks, totaling three sacks, 14 tackles, four pass breakups and an interception. He first started in Week 14 against Chicago, when defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn decided to plug him in for Tracy Walker. 

With Gardner-Johnson potentially returning this week, Glenn is now tasked with defining roles for several talented players on the back-end of his defense. 

The defensive coordinator has been consistent in his messaging — the best players will be the ones who take the field. With Kerby Joseph playing well as the team's free safety and Brian Branch owning the nickel spot, the Lions will have to decide how to best distribute snaps between Gardner-Johnson and Melifonwu. 

"The best guy plays. Listen, there will always be opportunities to get all of those guys on the field," Glenn said Wednesday. "I know I've said that as a joke before, but listen, man, we want to get the best players on the field as much as we can. And, that's my job to do that. I promise you this, that will get done. It's just making sure that you don't disrupt defense, the way we've been playing it. 

"Listen, I'm honest and upfront with every player that we've had, and I will always be that way. Coming from a former player, that's what you want from a coach, and every player knows that. But, every player also knows that I want to make sure we get the best players on the field, too. So, I will make sure that happens." 

Gardner-Johnson has a proven pedigree, and was solid in his two games prior to injury. But, Melifonwu's emergence has added a variable to the rotation. 

In Gardner-Johnson's first game back, a potential situation may be to limit his snaps to ease him back into the flow of the game. However, the fifth-year pro has a track record showing he is capable of performing at a level that would make him tough to take off the field. 

As a result, he will likely get the foremost of the snaps. 

However, Melifonwu's superb knack for timing his blitzes from the secondary is an asset the Lions have benefitted from utilizing. 

"I think if – because look, (Ifeatu Melifonwu) 'Iffy' and Kerby (Joseph) are both playing at a high level. (Brian) Branch is coming along, playing some pretty good football," Campbell said. "And so, then you begin to, ‘Alright, how do we build a couple of packages here?’ Once you get him in there. And so yeah, I mean, look, we’re going to play the best players and the guys that give us the best chance to win and put the best on that field that we can, that make sense per what they’re doing and their personnel groups.”

Utilizing Melifonwu in a unique role would allow Glenn to divert some of the physical snaps from Gardner-Johnson early in his return. Melifonwu's physicality makes him an asset as both a blitzer and a run-stopper. 

However, using him as only a blitzer would generate a level of predictability within the Lions' defense. Because of this, using Melifonwu in run-based packages could create a consistent threat of extra pressure in play-action situations. 

Based on his physicality, the Lions could even experiment with a lighter front-seven and utilize Melifonwu as a sub-linebacker. He's played 66 snaps aligned in the box, according to Pro Football Focus, over the last three games.

If the Lions feel good about Gardner-Johnson's health, he should get the primary load of the snaps. His ability to generate takeaways throughout his career has been key to his success, and this is a trait the Lions have emphasized all season.

He also had 13 tackles in his two games, a sign that he's well-equipped to handle the physicality of defending the run.

Using a dime package would allow the Lions to potentially play both at the same time. In dime, teams have six defensive backs on the field, while utilizing a combination of five linebackers and defensive linemen. 

The problem with dime packages is that they are lighter against the run, meaning there's less interior force to stop opponents on the ground. Detroit is statistically a top-10 run defense, and utilizing dime would hinder its effectiveness. 

In passing situations, this is an obvious solution. Melifonwu's abilities as a blitzer would make up for the lack of interior presence, but he's also well-equipped in coverage. 

Yet, against the run, opposing offensive lines would have an obvious advantage. 

Heading into Week 16, the best course of action for the Lions is to evaluate the workload that Gardner-Johnson can comfortably handle. He will be a mainstay in the unit, but Melifonwu's production is hard to ignore. 

Gardner-Johnson's presence is difference-making. Yet, Melifonwu has proven to be the same caliber of player in his recent audition. As a result, some unique looks could be on the way from Glenn's defense.