# Lions believe in Thomas Harper’s ability as potential starting safety
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After showing such great promise, Harper can’t wait to add a deeper knowledge of the playbook and scheme.
“I really was kind of just out there, and that’s why I’m so excited for this upcoming season,” Harper said.
Added Harper, “Just being able to be somewhere and have a whole camp and really just that defense, knowing that defense in and out, that helps so much at my position. … The more I can know what the linebacker has, the more that I can know what the nickel has, the corner has, it’ll just allow me to play even faster.”
Harper has been taking first-team reps at safety in the absence of Joseph and Brian Branch this spring. While he by no means is guaranteed to be the next man up in that room, it’s probably fair to say he has the inside track at being a starter if either Joseph or Branch (or both) aren’t ready to play by the start of the season.
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Midway through the 2025 season, Harper was an integral piece of the Lions’ defense, and while he didn’t have the turnover prowess of Joseph, he was reliable in all phases — in his first season as an NFL safety, no less. Most of the snaps he took for Las Vegas were as a slot cornerback.
“That is not easy to do in the NFL,” Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said of Harper’s transition. “… It’s a lot of second-nature things that take place, instincts kick in. Those are things where you saw him getting better through the course of the year. And he played a lot of good, quality football. Those were quality snaps he was able to log.”
Harper described his first season with the Lions as “all instincts.” In 12 total appearances, he finished the season with 37 combined tackles, five pass breakups and an interception. Among safeties who played at least 20% of snaps, Harper had the 11th-best coverage grade (75.9), per Pro Football Focus. He was targeted just 10 times, allowing five catches for 84 yards, including just 4 yards after the catch.