The Detroit Lions needed a safety heading into the draft. And that’s even after signing Deshon Elliott to a one-year deal. And they got him, selecting Illinois’ Kerby Joseph with the 97th overall pick.

Joseph to the Lions makes sense on several levels. For starters, the coaching staff first met him during this past year’s Senior Bowl. And then they had talks again during the NFL Combine. Those talks led to the Lions taking the ball-hawking Safety, filling a much-needed void.

Last season at Illinois, Joseph finished with 57 tackles and five interceptions. Additionally, he added three fumble recoveries and one sack. His efforts led to a First Team All-Big Ten selection.

Follow Kory Woods on Twitter at KoryEWoods.