Pride of Detroit
The next installment in our training camp preview series looks at the Detroit Lions’ defensive tackle group.
In this installment of our Detroit Lions 2025 training camp preview series, we switch sides of the ball and examine the Lions’ interior defensive line group, speculating on current and future roles, and discussing how many players from this group could make the 53-man roster.
Previous training camp previews:
The Lions entered 2024 with an improved group of interior defensive linemen, led by Alim McNeill (who received a contract extension mid-season), DJ Reader (who was coming off a hip injury), and Levi Onwuzurike (a hybrid defender who split time inside and on the edge), with rookie Mekhi Wingo and veteran Kyle Peko rounding out the room.
Unfortunately, injuries at defensive tackle dominated the headlines. Brodric Martin started the season on injured reserve, and although he returned, it was in a limited manner. Peko landed on injured reserve early in the season and was replaced by veteran Pat O’Connor. But the biggest blow came in December when McNeill tore his ACL. With their depth exhausted, the Lions turned to practice squad players Chris Smith, Myles Adams (via Seattle), and Jonah Williams (via Rams) to finish off the season.
Entering the offseason, the Lions knew that they would need to invest heavily at defensive tackle in order to overcome the absence of McNeill—who is expected to miss time during the regular season—while also planning for the future.
That led to arguably the Lions’ biggest move of the offseason, when Detroit selected Tyleik Williams in the first round of the NFL Draft. Williams joined McNeill, Reader, Wingo, and Martin, who were all still under contract. But the Lions weren’t content to stay put, as they re-signed Onwuzurike, O’Connor, Adams, and Smith (futures) to one-year contracts. Additionally, the team signed Roy Lopez to a one-year deal in free agency and Raequan Williams after a tryout at rookie minicamp. Peko remains an unrestricted free agent, while Jonah Williams signed with the Saints.
Under the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime, the Lions have deployed different styles of defensive front, but they’ve remained consistent in maintaining the number of players they’ve dedicated to the position.
Let’s take a look at what they’ve done on the interior defensive line in the previous four seasons:
