Veteran safety Ifeatu Melifonwu has been with the Detroit Lions throughout the tenure of general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell.
Melifonwu was part of Holmes’ initial draft class and was the fourth player selected in that class, picked in the third round, following defensive lineman Alim McNeill and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the same round.
Initially drafted as a cornerback, Melifonwu made the switch to safety late in the 2022 season. He has shown his versatility in the Lions’ defense when healthy over the past few years. In four seasons, he’s only played more than 10 games once due to injuries, appearing in 37 regular season games with 14 starts.
Melifonwu undoubtedly has the talent. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 210 pounds, he can play both safety positions, serve as a blitzer in the box, and also line up as a slot corner. However, this past season, he only played in four games, including the playoffs, due to two separate stints on injured reserve for ankle and finger injuries.
The Lions have 22 players set to become unrestricted free agents when the new league year starts in March, with Melifonwu being one of them.
“I would like to be back,” he said last week during locker room cleanout. “Obviously, I got drafted here and I was part of the first class drafted here. I’ve seen what we’ve built and how we’ve grown, so I would love to return.”
The Lions will bring back both Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch at safety. Joseph led the NFL with nine interceptions and earned a spot as a first-time All Pro. Branch is known for his versatility in the secondary and is considered one of the top strong safeties in the league, likely to make an All-Pro and Pro Bowl appearance soon.
“I would like to be back,” he said last week during locker room cleanout. “Obviously, I got drafted here and I was part of the first class drafted here. I’ve seen what we’ve built and how we’ve grown, so I would love to return.”
Detroit will also have Amik Robertson at nickel cornerback for one more year on his contract, while second-year cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr., a second-round pick from last year’s NFL Draft, may be vying for a role in the position as well.
Holmes and Campbell will face difficult decisions in the coming weeks as they determine where to allocate their resources. How they view Melifonwu’s role and the overall structure of their secondary will certainly be factors in these discussions.