Lions Safety Grades 2025: Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch
· Yahoo Sports
Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch entered the 2025 season as pillars of Detroit’s secondary, but injuries reshaped both players’ campaigns and ultimately lowered their final grades. While each showed flashes of high-level play, availability — and the lack of it — proved to be the defining factor.
Brian Branch — Grade: B
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Branch’s second NFL season never fully found rhythm, but when he was on the field, his impact remained evident. The versatile defensive back appeared in 12 games, missing five due to a midseason shoulder injury that sidelined him for nearly a month and limited his effectiveness upon return.
Statistically, Branch finished the 2025-26 season with 71 total tackles, six tackles for loss, two interceptions and eight passes defended. He also logged 2.5 sacks, continuing to showcase the hybrid skill set that made him such a valuable chess piece in Detroit’s defense. His instincts near the line of scrimmage remained elite, and his ability to disguise pressure packages stood out when healthy.
However, the missed time prevented Branch from stacking the type of consistent production that could elevate him into the league’s upper tier of defensive backs. He allowed a passer rating of 89.6 when targeted, a noticeable jump from his rookie season, which can be partially attributed to playing through discomfort late in the year.
Branch still earned a respectable Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 74.1 and remained one of Detroit’s most trusted defenders in high-leverage situations. His B grade reflects a strong season shortened by injury — productive, impactful, but incomplete.
Kerby Joseph — Grade: C-
Joseph’s grade is harsher, and by design. The safety’s 2025 season was marred by availability issues that disrupted both his rhythm and the cohesion of Detroit’s secondary. Joseph appeared in just nine games, missing eight due to a combination of a hamstring injury early in the year and a late-season knee issue that lingered longer than anticipated.
When available, Joseph still flashed ball-hawking ability. He recorded 54 tackles, two interceptions and five passes defended, but his splash plays were far less frequent than in previous seasons. He did not record a forced fumble for the first time since entering the league, and his missed time forced Detroit to shuffle coverages and rely heavily on depth pieces.
Joseph allowed four touchdowns in coverage and posted a career-low PFF grade of 63.8. Opposing quarterbacks targeted him aggressively upon his return, and his range appeared limited, particularly when asked to cover deep halves.
The reality is simple: availability is the best ability. Joseph’s absence was felt as much as his presence. Detroit’s defense allowed 1.1 more explosive pass plays per game during the stretches he missed, underscoring how valuable he is when healthy — and how damaging it was when he wasn’t.
Final Assessment
Neither Branch nor Joseph had a disastrous season, but injuries reshaped expectations. Branch earns the higher grade due to steadier availability and positional versatility. Joseph’s C- reflects not just diminished production, but the impact of prolonged absences on a defense that relied heavily on continuity in the secondary.
If both can return fully healthy in 2026, Detroit’s safety tandem still carries one of the highest ceilings in the NFC. But in 2025, durability dictated the final marks.