With the No. 28 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Ohio State DT Tyleik Williams.
Williams is one of the preeminent run defenders in college football, the anchor of their national championship defense. He is very adept at shedding blocks and ranging to the ball in the run game. He’s not a natural pass rusher, though he did bag five sacks as a freshman while playing at a lighter weight.
From his prospect profile I wrote in early March,
Williams is a wide-bodied interior bulldog with great athleticism for his size. He bulked up over 330 pounds for the combine but moved just as quickly and fluidly as he did as a 290-pound freshman. He’s got a variety of pass-rush moves that can work over either shoulder of a guard, and his bull rush is devastating when he wins the initial leverage war. Williams has an uncanny (for his girth) ability to strafe laterally and attack the ball in the run game, which is probably his best trait.
He slides into the Lions defensive line rotation that has DJ Reader, Roy Lopez and Levi Onwuzurike all on expiring deals. There is some resemblance to Williams’ game to a younger version of Alim McNeill, the top dog on the Lions line. With McNeill injured, Williams has a chance to contribute right away in Detroit.
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