The former third-round pick largely played a reserve role in Detroit, never starting more than six games in a season. Injuries were a major issue for him over his four years in Detroit and that was especially true in 2024. He played just three regular season games and had two separate stints on injured reserve. Melifonwu recorded one sack and 10 tackles in his three late-season starts. The Dolphins will give him a shot at winning a starting job this summer, but the value of his contract says a starting role is far from a guarantee.

Melfionwu was designated to return on November 6th, so he has until the 27th to be activated. It sounds like he might not be ready after that, either. Melifonwu has not played yet this year, and it’s possible that the Lions don’t end up returning him from injured reserve after this setback.

A third-round pick in 2021, Melifonwu played as a corner as a rookie, but he made the switch to safety over the offseason. An explosive athlete that lacks ideal long speed for a corner, safety might be Melifonwu's best shot in the NFL. 

Melifonwu made his first career start against the Packers, injuring his quad in the game. Dan Campbell described Melifonwu's injury as "a bad one" and the cornerback is expected to miss significant time. The Lions signed CB Daryl Worley from their practice squad in a corresponding move. Worley played in 10 games for three different teams in 2020, and will serve as emergency depth for the Lions secondary.