Lions' Safeties 'Not Even Close' to Finished Products

Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph have formed top-performing safety duo.

Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) returns an interception during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph have arguably formed the NFL's most productive starting safety tandem through the first nine weeks of the 2024 season.

The duo has combined for a staggering 10 interceptions, 19 passes defensed and 83 total tackles. In addition, Joseph has earned the highest Pro Football Focus overall grade among all qualified safeties (90.7), while Branch has recorded PFF's second-highest mark for safeties (90.0).

There's no denying the fact that Joseph and Branch have been two of the Lions’ top performers on the defensive side of the ball through the first half of the season. Yet, Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn – who suited up at defensive back for 15 NFL seasons – believes that the two of them are “not even close” to being finished products.

“Those two guys are doing a hell of a job for us, and the thing is, they're not even close to where they're going to be,” Glenn said about Branch and Joseph earlier this week. “And, when I talk about that, that's just understanding the game as they get older and understanding the things we're trying to do with them technically, that they have to do a better job at.” 

Branch and Joseph each bring a variety of skills to the table for Glenn's defense. And this is especially the case with Branch. The Alabama product excels in coverage (86.5 PFF coverage grade), can stop the run (81.3 PFF run-defense mark) and can get after the quarterback as a blitzer (90.5 PFF pass-rush grade). 

Speaking of his blitzing ability, he helped set up Joseph's interception against Green Bay by getting heat on Packers quarterback Jordan Love.

“BB (Branch) thinks every blitz is supposed to be for him, so I would say that first and foremost,” Glenn said about Branch blitzing on Joseph's pick-six of Love. “But, the thing is we – Kerby has skillsets that we want to tap into and obviously, he's really, really good in the deep part of the field, that could be deep-half or deep-middle. But, if you look at the body type, man, he's a thicker-built safety. He weighs about 210, 212, so his ability to go in there and cause havoc as far as a blitzer is something that we'll take advantage of, too. And plus, listen, we want those guys to be interchangeable, we want those guys those to be able to do everything they can to be a top-notch safety in this league.” 

Joseph’s pick-six was his sixth interception of the season, tying Green Bay’s Xavier McKinney for the NFL lead. He’s intercepted a pass in five of Detroit’s last six games, and became the first safety to pick off at least 14 passes through his first three seasons since Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed (2002-2004).

“He has a knack about it (causing turnovers),” Lions head man Dan Campbell said of Joseph after his interception vs. Green Bay. “He is a football player, and that is one of the things that we liked about him when he was coming out. There was a rawness to him, but he had ball skills and the ability to track the ball. And, we felt like he could grow and become a pretty good safety in this league. He certainly has done that, and he is not done. He is not done. That is what excites you.”