Pride of Detroit
Despite the Detroit Lions still having one game left to play in their 2025 season, it’s hard not to look ahead to what is going to be a pivotal offseason. After seeing how talented this team had become over the last three seasons, expectations have risen significantly in Detroit. So much so that an eight or nine-win season is simply not acceptable.
Moving beyond their Week 18 tilt with the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, there are plenty of reasons to believe in the future of this team. General manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell have done a great job of building up the core of the roster, with the 2021, 2022, and 2023 draft classes doing the majority of the heavy lifting. Having said that, the 2024 and 2025 classes have left a lot to be desired.
And while it would be a bad process to declare draft picks misses in either year one or two of their young careers (I have always gone by the three-year rule), I can understand some of the anxiety from parts of the fanbase. In order to help supplement their highly paid stars, they will need production from young players who are still on cost-controlled rookie contracts.
That brings us to today’s question of the day:
My answer: I almost went with cornerback Terrion Arnold here because I really did like some of what he was putting on tape prior to going on injured reserve, but being a trenches guy—I am going with the Lions’ first-round selection from the 2025 NFL Draft, defensive tackle Tyleik Williams.
If veteran defensive tackle D.J. Reader does end up moving on after the conclusion of the Lions-Bears game this week, I would assume Williams’ role for the 2026 season will grow exponentially. When he did see the field during his rookie season, he was highly effective, despite the lack of counting stats. However, when you turn on his film, you see why Detroit was so happy he fell to them last year.
Williams possesses powerful hands and really light feet for someone pushing 330 pounds, and he consistently ate up double teams in the middle of the Lions’ defense. And when he did get a chance to rush the passer in a one-on-one situation, he showed that his bull rush has quite a bit of juice. With a season of experience now under his belt and an offseason to hone a few more pass-rushing moves, I will be excited to see what Williams brings to the defense in 2026.
What about you? Which Lions player from either the 2025 or 2026 classes are you most excited to see next season? Let us know in the comments below.
