'He Played a Physical Game': Ifeatu Melifonwu Adds Value to Lions' Defense

Detroit's young defensive back performed well in first start of 2023.

Ifeatu Melifonwu is a young defensive back who patiently waited for his opportunity to help the team that took a chance on him in the 2021 NFL Draft. 

The team has also patiently waited for the versatile defender to develop and battle through various injuries to start his young career. 

An additional challenge was switching positions, as the team wanted the cornerback to play the safety position. 

The former Syracuse Orange defensive back's patience and diligence paid off, as he earned the opportunity to start in Detroit's 20-6 home victory against the Atlanta Falcons. 

“It felt good,” the defensive back told All Lions after the team's win. “I feel like I've gone through a lot here in Detroit, like with injuries and a position change. And, I don't know, it just felt good to start here at home. Here my name got called off in the tunnel and get a win.“

The early start to his career has been plagued with various injuries, keeping the talented defensive back from seeing significant playing time. 

"I've just been, I was itching to make plays on defense and add value to the team," Melifonwu said. "And, I've just been itching to do that. I feel like today, I got a chance to show that, and I did.”

A former third-round pick, Melifonwu earned the starting nod opposite of Tracy Walker against the Falcons, as both C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Kerby Joseph, Detroit's starting safeties, are battling injuries. 

“He did some really nice things. It was good to see him out there, make the plays that he made. Iffy’s a smart guy, it’s just about getting him on the field and keeping him out there, health-wise," Dan Campbell explained to reporters Monday. "This is the most time we’ve had on him, consistently, to be able to bank those reps at the safety position, in particular. We thought he did a real nice job and the other thing, he played a physical game. He played a physical game, he was good in coverage but he also came up and he hit. He was where he was supposed to be. It was good. It was an excellent first start for him.” 

In total, the 24-year-old defensive back finished with three tackles and a pass breakup. He earned a 76.0 overall Pro Football Focus defensive grade, fourth amongst Detroit’s defenders.

“Overall, I felt pretty good,” Melifonwu explained. “Obviously, we still got to watch the tape and see, you know, all the little corrections. But, overall, I felt good and ultimately, we won. So, I feel even better.”

Pairing up next to Tracy Walker was comfortable, as the duo has worked together in training camp and has developed solid on-field communication. 

"I like pairing up with Tracy, because we always talk to each other. We always want to have each other's back and communicate, and you know, just telling him, 'Next play, it's going to come back to you.' So, yeah, I was happy to see him play."

Against the Falcons, Detroit's defense stifled the run game, limiting the opponent to only 44 total rushing yards. 

"We just had to get back to our identity -- violence, stopping the run and being physical. Because I think that got away from us the week before. So, we knew they had a good rushing team, and it was a good test for us to get back to what we usually do."