Aaron Glenn is facing a problem all coordinators dream about: too many good players. The Lions suddenly have an embarrassment of riches at safety.
With C.J. Gardner-Johnson set to return in Sunday's regular season finale and Ifeatu Melifonwu emerging as a playmaker in the back of Detroit's defense, Glenn has to find a way to get them on the field alongside fellow safety Kerby Joseph.
If that means playing all three together, so be it.
"Listen, all three of those guys are going to play, because they’re all good players," Glenn said Thursday. "One thing that we try to do as a defense is make sure we have our best players on the field. Will they all three be on the field at the same time? Possibly. Will somebody be down (and someone else up)? Possibly. But they’re all going to play. You’re going to see that."
Melifonwu, a converted corner, has been a revelation since replacing Tracy Walker in Detroit's starting lineup in Week 14. He has three sacks, two picks and five passes defended over this four-game stretch and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after he had two sacks and the game-winning interception in the Lions' division-clinching win over the Vikings on Christmas Eve. He has played too well to be taken off the field.
Gardner-Johnson is too good not to be on the field, assuming he's as fast and physical as he was prior to the torn pec he suffered in Week 2. He tied for the NFL lead in picks last season despite missing five games and helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl. The Lions signed him to not only spark the secondary but set the tone on defense. He's exactly the kind of player they want to unleash entering the playoffs next week.
And Joseph is arguably the best ballhawk on Detroit's defense, which relies on takeaways to cover other flaws in personnel. He had two picks in the win over the Vikings and has played the fourth most defensive snaps this season behind Cam Sutton, Alex Anzalone and Aidan Hutchinson.
Getting Joseph, Gardner-Johnson and Melifonwu on the field at once won't be easy, but it can be done. The simplest solution would be playing Gardner-Johnson at his traditional position of nickel, but that would mean taking Brian Branch off the field, which is a non-starter for the Lions. Another way would be deploying Gardner-Johnson in a hybrid linebacker role given his penchant for defending the run. He's played out of the box in the past, including under Glenn in New Orleans.
Or the Lions could just use some three-safety looks, with Gardner-Johnson likely in the middle and Joseph and Melifonwu on his wings. Glenn, a former defensive back himself, is the right mind to put it all together. One thing's for sure as the playoffs near: too much talent is a good problem to have.