The Detroit Lions find themselves just outside the NFC playoff race, and the margin between reaching the postseason or watching from home may come down to key roster tweaks. One area where change could be brewing is along the defensive front, where rookie lineman Tyleik Williams has begun to stand out.
Early in the year, Detroit struggled to determine exactly how Williams fit into their rotation. With Roy Lopez emerging and Dan Campbell considering whether Williams would develop best behind the veterans, his role seemed uncertain heading into the back half of the schedule. But the rookie’s recent play has made it difficult for the coaching staff to keep him off the field, and his rise may leave the Lions little choice but to increase his workload.
Lions Need to Capitalize on Williams’s Emergence
Detroit’s interior defensive line has been unstable since last season wrapped up. Alim McNeill’s ACL injury last December cast doubt over the group’s stability, and the Lions were fortunate to have used a first-round pick on Williams—especially once Levi Onwuzurike also tore his ACL in July. Though Williams didn’t make an immediate splash, he has started to deliver meaningful production in recent weeks.
According to Pride of Detroit’s Al Karsten, Williams has earned a 66.9 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus since Week 5. That places him 34th out of 119 defensive tackles with at least 100 snaps—and second among rookies at the position. He also ranks fifth among all defensive tackles in their first two NFL seasons.
Williams has shown encouraging growth as a pass rusher as well. Karsten noted that he holds a 10.1% pass-rush win rate, outperforming Mason Graham, whom Cleveland selected fifth overall in April. Williams has also logged multiple quarterback pressures in three separate games, including Detroit’s recent matchup with Philadelphia.
If Detroit opts to shake things up, giving Williams more snaps seems like a logical move. His season-long PFF grade of 57.4 is now approaching the second-highest mark among the team’s interior defenders, trailing only DJ Reader. Meanwhile, McNeill has struggled to rediscover his pre-injury form, posting just a 47.4 overall grade and a 47.5 run-defense mark.
Although Williams hasn’t yet replicated the run-stuffing dominance he showed at Ohio State, his strides as an interior pass rusher make him a candidate for expanded duties down the stretch. If the Lions embrace this, a defense already performing well under first-year coordinator Kelvin Sheppard could elevate further—potentially pushing Detroit back into playoff position and strengthening their chances for a deep postseason run.
