Christian Izien has been a chess piece for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense over the last three seasons. He's logged significant snaps at both safety spots and slot corner, along with having a big special teams role.

The Detroit Lions and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard value versatility in their players, and Izien should fit right in being able to play multiple spots in Detroit's secondary.

That being said, what is Izien's favorite position to play?

"The football field, being on it," he said Friday during his introductory press conference at the Meijer Performance Center. "Just being on the football field honestly is my favorite spot. Teams do a lot of things schematically to move me around a lot, so just being on the field."

Izien, 25, signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers in 2023 and immediately made an impact. He appeared in 17 games with four starts as a rookie, recording 65 tackles, two interceptions, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble playing as Tampa Bay's primary slot corner.

He played in 14 games with 10 starts in 2024, racking up another 75 tackles, four tackles for loss and an interception playing more safety than corner in his second season. Izien had more of a reserve role at both safety and slot corner last season.

"Speaking with a majority of teams I spoke with (in free agency), my versatility was always brought up," he said. "I know how much that's valued in this league. Only 53 guys can dress (on gameday) and having the ability to play multiple positions out there is always an addition to a team and is going to be something teams look for."

The Lions are certainly familiar with Izien having played him and the Bucs four times in the last three years. Izien recorded 19 tackles, two passes defended and an interception in those contests. He recorded 10 tackles and an interception in Tampa Bay's Week 2 win in Detroit in 2024.

"Playing Detroit these last three years, four times in three years, it's almost like become a division game," Izien joked. "Having the ability to go against these guys and knowing what type of outfit they are and how they're going to bring energy every time we played against them, it was something I definitely took into account when choosing Detroit."

Izien has 165 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five passes defended and three interceptions over his three NFL seasons.

With slot cornerback Amik Robertson signing with the Washington Commanders in free agency and Detroit dealing with injuries at safety, Izien has the kind of experience and production where he could step in and play several key roles right away.

"That was probably the realist conversation I've had with a coach since I've been in the league," Izien said of his talks with Sheppard while in town to sign his contract. "Even interviews prior to the league. That was a really good conversation. We had some really good talks about how they plan on using me and different things like that."