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One of the nice things about getting into OTAs and having practice sessions is that the Detroit Lions provide us with an official roster. It was at this point last year that the team made the position changes in the secondary official, with Will Harris transitioning to cornerback and Ifeatu Melifonwu moving to safety.
Those 2022 position changes remain into 2023. There was an interesting wrinkle with the defensive back listings, however. Three players are designated as “DB,” meaning they’re not considered a safety or a corner exclusively.
It’s a designation that makes perfect sense for prized free agent C.J. Garnder-Johnson, who has played all over the secondary in his prior NFL stops. Second-round rookie Brian Branch also earns the DB designation. Branch played outside CB and box safety at Alabama, and the expectation is No. 32 will align wherever the Lions need him in trying to find his best fit.
The third DB is Saivion Smith, who played outside cornerback for Detroit in 2022. Smith is aiming to return from a serious neck injury suffered early last season. At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, he will get looks at safety as well as outside CB.