After having a fully healthy season for the first time in his NFL career, the next player we focus on in the 2024 Detroit Lions roster preview series is safety Ifeatu Melifonwu. Melifonwu came into the season late after an injury struck safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, missing the rest of the regular season after Week 2. Fellow safety Tracy Walker was not playing as well as he was the year before when he tore his Achilles.
When given a chance to start, Melifonwu took that opportunity and ran with it. He helped seal the Lion’s first NFC North crown with his game-sealing interception on the road against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16.