Lions Tyleik Williams Rookie Season Stat Prediction

The Detroit Lions invested in their defensive interior even more with the addition of first-round pick Tyleik Williams in the 2025 NFL draft.

Williams joins an nose tackle rotation headlined by veteran DJ Reader and free agent signing Roy Lopez, with the likes of Levi Onwuzurike, Mekhi Wingo and Pat O'Connor also in the mix as off-the-ball tackles.

Detroit's defensive line will also get a boost at some point with the return of defensive tackle Alim McNeill, whose late-season torn ACL is expected to hold him out of action to begin the regular season.

At Ohio State, Williams was a run-stuffing nose tackle who helped anchor the defense in their run to a national championship. While the consensus is that he'll need to develop to become an effective pass-rusher at the NFL level, he has the intangible athletic skills to be a factor early on.

Williams has been limited throughout the team's offseason program in part due to the length of his season in college, and as a result will need to get up to speed quickly in training camp. Even if he's able to acclimate quickly, he may be best suited for a rotational role behind Reader and Lopez at defensive tackle.

Roster Bubble: Defensive Linemen