The NFL Combine is well underway, with the second player media sessions taking place in Indianapolis on Thursday. Here are some Detroit Lions-centric observations from the group, which included cornerbacks, safeties and tight ends.

Just as Aidan Hutchinson was a popular name mentioned among the pass rushers who spoke with reporters on Tuesday, Brian Branch was someone discussed plenty among the safeties Wednesday. Prospects spoke glowingly of Branch’s versatility, a trait they’d like to emulate at the next level: “I definitely like to watch his film,” said Ohio State’s Lathan Ransom, an expected Day 2 pick. “He makes a lot of plays. … Being as versatile as you can be is something I learned when I got to Ohio State. I first played nickel, and then played safety. You gain value.” Others praising Branch included Penn State teammates Jaylen Reed and Kevin Winston Jr.

The Lions could be in the market for a third safety — we’ll see how Ifeatu Melifonwu’s free agency shakes out — and Penn State’s Jaylen Reed would make sense as a mid-round acquisition. Reed has a similar skill set to Melifonwu, as both players have proved impactful as blitzers. Reed, who had 12 pressures and 2.5 sacks in 2024, said he learned to harness the trait playing behind former Nittany Lions standout Ji’Ayir Brown, who was a third-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers in 2023: “I did a lot of tape (study) on it, but it’s got to come natural when you’re blitzing,” Reed said. “I don’t think everybody can just go out there and blitz against offensive tackles and running backs that’ve been pass blocking their whole life.”

The Lions don’t have a glaring need at tight end, but it would make sense to begin future-proofing the position, with backup Brock Wright entering the second year of a three-year deal. Miami’s Elijah Arroyo (6-foot-4, 251 pounds), arguably the best overall athlete at his position, was a Senior Bowl standout and is likely to continue raising his stock with the physical testing at this week’s combine. A willingness to block is a prerequisite for Lions’ offense; Arroyo (35 catches, 590 yards, seven touchdowns in 2024) has that, plus a ton of upside at receiver. “An absolute dawg,” Arroyo said when asked to describe himself. “Someone who’s willing to do whatever it takes to win games. I feel like I’m a very selfless player and I’ll always put the team first.”

Lions general manager Brad Holmes hasn’t been shy in adding players from Alabama, and this draft has no shortage of Crimson Tide representation; nine players who donned the Script A last season are at the combine. Safety Malachi Moore, another mid-round option, is one of them, and he’s got direct ties to a couple defensive backs in Detroit, though he hasn’t yet met with the team: “It would be great to play with my guys, Terrion (Arnold) and (Branch), on the defensive side of the ball. We already had that great chemistry, and we come from the same lineage in college football and playing under coach (Nick) Saban. All of us are likeminded. We’re still brothers to this day.”

Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos was Alabama teammates with Arnold during the 2023 season. “There’s only one Terrion Arnold,” Amos said, referring to Arnold’s brash personality. “Learned a lot (from him). Making that transition, all he did was support and just wanted to be better.” Amos is a do-it-all type who had 40 total tackles in 2024 and allowed an opposing passer rating of 54.5 when targeted in coverage, with 10 pass breakups and three interceptions.

Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant walks, talks and plays like a future Detroit Lion. At 5-foot-11, 171 pounds, there are inherent concerns about his size. But he hopes to hit an NFL playing weight of 180, and when you turn on the tape, tackling (he had 40 in 12 games) is actually one of the stronger parts of his game. He formally met with the Lions in Indianapolis and said they were a “very serious team … you’ve got to learn quickly. So they want to see if you can learn plays quickly.” Bryant, a projected middle-round pick, had four interceptions and four pass breakups while allowing an opposing passer rating of 62.7 when targeted. “I want to show the world that I’m one of the best in the country,” Bryant said. “That’s my mindset. … I love football.”

At 6-foot-3, 227 pounds, Nick Emmanwori might be the most athletic safety in the class. He’s the No. 11 player on Bruce Feldman’s freaks list and can absolutely fly. He made 73 tackles last season and was a beast in coverage, allowing just 24 catches on 38 targets for an opposing passer rating of 37.1. He’s built like a linebacker and believes he’s going to land in the top three of fastest defensive backs. “My college coach actually coached Kam Chancellor in college so he used to compare us a lot,” Emmanwori said. “I remember him telling me a lot of [scouts] tried to say he was a linebacker coming out of college and all this other type of stuff. We’ve gotten a lot of comparisons.”

No player in the country has more interceptions since 2023 than Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts, who picked off a combined 13 passes in his fourth and fifth seasons; the safety was tied for the nation’s lead with seven interceptions in 2023, and he was one shy of doing it again in 2024 (six). Watts, a popular choice in the second round of most mock drafts, pointed to his history on the offensive side (Watts played receiver in his first season with the Fighting Irish), as well as Notre Dame’s scheme: “I was fortunate enough to play in a defense where we wanted to get the ball,” Watts said. “We were out there playing free, and we were just hungry. I was able to capitalize on the system I was in, and credit to all my teammates; they did what they needed to do, so I was able to make some plays.”

Versatility has long been the name of the game in Detroit’s defense, and though they have at least four young, quality pieces to work with for the next couple of years, it wouldn’t hurt to continue backfilling in the secondary. A versatile player like Texas’ Jahdae Barron would be able to fit rather seamlessly in a group with several occupied spots. “I’m the most efficient and most consistent DB in playing all four roles. I played dime, corner, safety and nickel,” Barron said. “Having that in my bag and knowing I can be moved around and to benefit anybody’s team, I know that will help.”

Another converted receiver who now plays in the defensive backfield and is presumed to be a Day 2 choice, cornerback Darien Porter (Iowa State) allowed just five receptions (17 targets) for 70 yards in 2024. Porter had 203 coverage snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and he yanked down three interceptions while not allowing a touchdown. Porter would have to adjust to Detroit’s man-heavy scheme after playing with the Cyclones, but he’s got some added value if he needs time to adapt; Porter played a large role on special teams every year, logging 16 tackles in the phase of the game over the last five seasons.

Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas, who is seen by some prognosticators as a first-round candidate, was impressive in his availability, demonstrating confidence while balancing it with a healthy dose of humility. He was asked, like most prospects are, who he wants to go up against most at the next level. Rather than giving a direct answer, Thomas explained he didn’t feel like he had enough cache built up to call specific people out: “I’m 20 years old,” Thomas said. “It’s not really my role to be like, ‘Oh, I want to go against this guy.’ … I want to prove that I can play in this league. And then when I prove that, then I’ll start naming names.” Thomas was on a Seminoles team that struggled to a 2-10 record, but he impressed with an allowed passer rating of 50.19 in 2024.