The Detroit Lions did a lot this offseason to add talent and depth at cornerback. But the Lions didn’t add a notable player at safety, at least not yet. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport argued Detroit should target 2-time first-team All-Pro safety Budda Baker on the trade market.
On June 14, Davenport proposed the Lions trade a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round choice to the Arizona Cardinals for Baker.
“If there’s one area where the Lions could use a major boost, it’s safety. Brian Branch is a rising young nickelback, but safeties Kerby Joseph, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Brandon Joseph are average talents at best,” wrote Davenport.
“Baker enters his seventh professional season having played in exactly one postseason game, and if he hits the open market next year, teams will be lining up sign the 28-year-old—teams who can offer Baker something Arizona can’t.
“A realistic shot at a Super Bowl run.
“The Cardinals get more in this perspective deal than they would in compensatory picks. The Lions shore up their biggest defensive weakness with a six-time Pro Bowler.”
In addition to six Pro Bowl and two first-team All-Pro nominations, Baker has also made second-team All-Pro once in his seven NFL seasons.
He’s made the Pro Bowl each of the past five years and last made the All-Pro team in 2021. Last year, Baker posted 87 combined tackles, including 5 tackles for loss in 12 games.
What Budda Baker Could Bring to the Lions
Baker hasn’t played at all All-Pro level the past two seasons. He also dealt with a hamstring injury last season, which caused him to miss five games.
But Baker would likely be an upgrade over what the Lions already have on the roster at safety. At Pro Football Focus last season, Baker earned a 64.8 player grade. Detroit’s top current safety, Kerby Joseph, posted a 56.5 PFF player grade in 2023.
With the Lions holding Super Bowl aspirations, the team could consider going all-in. Giving up a second-round pick for Baker would be expensive, but it wouldn’t have a long-term impact on Detroit’s salary cap unless the organization re-signed Baker after 2024.
Sending a second-round pick to Arizona would be worth it anyway if Baker helped the Lions push for a Super Bowl title.
Why the Lions Will Probably Consider Other Safety Options Than Baker
Baker would be a safety upgrade for Detroit, but there are reasons the Lions might not be interested.
His 64.8 PFF grade was actually only ranked 42nd among safeties who played at least 50% of his team’s defensive snaps last season. Baker played better than Joseph, but he’s not the elite option he was 2-3 years ago.
The Lions could also have a budding star at safety in Ifeatu Melifonwu. Although he didn’t begin playing regularly until the end of 2023, Melifonwu posted an 82.1 PFF player grade while playing 535 defensive snaps.
Detroit’s only defenders (among players with more than 125 snaps) who had better PFF player grades than Melifonwu were defensive linemen Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill.
The Lions probably don’t want to acquire a safety that will take playing time away from Melifonwu. Acquiring Baker would do that unless they were willing to strip snaps away from Joseph.
A better safety solution for Detroit could be to acquire a quality veteran who won’t demand a lot of playing time but could help if injuries occur to Melifonwu or Joseph.
For depth, the Lions have safeties Brandon Joseph and C.J. Moore on the 90-man roster. Detroit also have depth in undrafted free agent safeties Chelen Garnes and Loren Strickland.
The Lions could use another safety, but rather than Baker, one that will seriously push Joseph and Moore for the No. 3 job. That kind of option would also be far cheaper than a second-round pick.
