The Detroit Lions are in a position that many teams would love to be in.
The Lions have one of the best rosters in the league and didn't have to worry about losing any key contributors this offseason. Carlton Davis is the one key starter from 2024 who left in free agency, but the team was able to replace him with D.J. Reed, another reliable veteran corner.
In the 2025 NFL draft, the team added some solid pieces, as well. Defensive lineman Tyleik Williams was the first-round selection, but second-round pick Tate Ratledge and third-round pick Isaac TeSlaa should also contribute as rookie.
Looking at the roster post-draft, there's not too many obvious holes. More depth in the secondary could be useful, as safety has some questionable depth options behind behind Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.
Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit recently identified veteran Justin Simmons as a logical candidate to join the Lions.
Simmons is coming off of a down year by his standards with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024. Still, the four-time second-team All-Pro has a strong track record and wouldn't be counted on to start if Detroit signed him.
Regarding Simmons and the Lions, Reisman offered the following:
Simmons may be in the same boat as Williams—seeking an opportunity to start. He’s just a year removed from a Pro Bowl season, but he’s a physical run defender who has plenty of ball skills, too (21 interceptions in the last five seasons). Last year, he signed a one-year, $7.5 million, fully guaranteed deal, so he’d likely only cost slightly less than that—probably too much for a backup role.
In 2024, Simmons played in 16 games and collected 62 tackles, two tackles for loss, seven pass deflections, and two interceptions.
Simmons earned a 59.9 overall Pro Football Focus grade, which ranked 113th out of 171 qualified safeties. However, the safety fared better in pass coverage than he did in run defense, and is just one season removed from earning second-team All-Pro honors.
Overall, Simmons has received two Pro Bowl selections during his nine-year career and has been a reliable option in the backend of defenses. Simmons has had at least two interceptions in each of his seasons and led the league with six in 2022.
Spotrac projects Simmons to land a one-year deal worth $5.8 million. Over the Cap still has the Lions sitting at around $42 million in cap space, so adding Simmons wouldn't be a problem from a financial standpoint.
Having quality depth is always a good thing, and Simmons would provide that, as well as mentorship to the youngsters like Dan Jackson in the safeties room.
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