Detroit Lions 2026 Roster Bubble: Defensive Tackles

The Detroit Lions will enter the 2026 season with some uncertainty along the interior of the defensive line. 

For starters, what kind of production will Detroit get out of nose tackle Alim McNeill? 

The 26-year-old experienced an underwhelming 2025 campaign after returning from a torn ACL that prematurely ended his 2024 season.

Quite notably, his pass-rush productivity fell off in a significant fashion, as he finished with zero sacks and just two QB hits. And for his efforts, he earned a 61.3 pass-rush mark from Pro Football Focus, ranking 72nd among 134 qualified interior defensive linemen.

He also struggled against the run, finishing with a subpar PFF run-defense grade of 47.2.

The Lions need him to bounce back in a big way this upcoming season. And if he reverts to his 2024 form (he earned a 79.6 PFF overall grade), Detroit would experience an uptick in production on the interior.

Second-year pro Tyleik Williams will also factor in prominently along the interior of the defensive line. 

Williams, the No. 28 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, started in 10 games as a rookie, posting 18 total tackles, including two tackles for loss, one sack, three quarterback hits and four passes defended. 

He started Detroit’s first six games of the year alongside DJ Reader before becoming a rotational interior lineman upon McNeill’s return to action.

Williams certainly experienced his fair share of struggles as a first-year pro, earning a PFF overall grade of just 62.6 for his efforts. 

With Reader having departed for the N.Y. Giants this offseason, the onus will be on Williams to take a major step forward in his second NFL season.

Mekhi Wingo, Levi Onwuzurike and Ahmed Hassanein will also be in the mix for snaps on the interior of the defensive line. 

Onwuzurike, the Lions’ second-round pick in 2021, should be the safest of the three headed into training camp. Meanwhile, Wingo and Hassanein could each be on the chopping block.

Wingo, Detroit’s first-of-two sixth-round selections in 2024, has failed to make much of an impact since reaching the professional ranks. Through two NFL seasons, the LSU product hasn’t notched a single sack, and he’s only recorded seven total pressures. 

Meanwhile, Hassanein, the Lions’ sixth-round selection last year, suffered a pectoral injury during camp a year ago, and proceeded to be waived by the team with an injury settlement prior to the final round of roster cuts. 

He was later re-signed to the organization's practice squad. Yet, the Boise State product failed to log a single snap in the Motor City in 2025. 

This spring, the Lions’ coaching staff provided the second-year defender with plenty of work at the big end position, a new role for the 24-year-old.

Hassanein and Wingo will both need solid performances this summer in order to secure their spots on Detroit’s 53-man roster. 

Roster bubble 

Wingo and Hassanein will face intense competition throughout camp from the likes of Tyler Lacy and Skyler Gill-Howard. 

Lacy – a post-roster cutdown pick-up by the Lions last year – suited up for 10 contests, making four starts, in his debut campaign in Detroit. In those games, he amassed 21 tackles and a sack for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s unit.

Equipped with the ability to line up both inside and on the edge, Lacy – who impressed during mandatory minicamp – is a darkhorse candidate to crack Detroit’s season-opening roster.

Meanwhile, Gill-Howard, the Lions’ sixth-round draft pick this past April, was selected out of Texas Tech, where he recorded 13 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception across six games in 2025 . And he earned an 88.6 overall mark from PFF for his efforts. 

The Red Raiders product plays with a relentless motor, and has a chance to develop into a difference-making pass-rusher for Sheppard’s defense. And in the immediate future, his presence should heighten the stakes in camp for Wingo and Hassanein.  

Detroit will also head into training camp with Myles Adams, Chris Smith, Aidan Keanaaina and Jay Tufele in their interior defensive linemen room.

Of the four aforementioned linemen, Tufele – who appeared in 12 games for the N.Y. Jets a season ago – has the best shot of making an impact in 2026.