Detroit shores up the defensive linen at pick No. 28.
With the 28th pick in the 2025 Draft, the Lions select Tyleik Williams, the defensive lineman out of Ohio State. Here’s what he brings to the team.
Stats & Accolades
- 2021: Played in 12 games as a reserve (16 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two pass breakups, forced fumble). Honorable Mention All-Big Ten.
- 2022: Played in 13 games as a reserve (21 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, sack, two pass breakups). Honorable Mention All-Big Ten.
- 2023: Played in 13 games with 12 starts (54 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, five pass breakups). Third-Team All-Big Ten.
- 2024: Started 13 games missing three to injury (46 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, pass breakup). Won CFP National Championship. Third-Team All-Big Ten.
What the Lions are getting:
Williams is a well-compositioned defensive tackle at 6’3 and over 330 pounds. He plays with a violent demeanor that he loves to impose on blockers early on in hopes to wear down their will to play by the final quarter. Williams has the pop behind his hands to jolt blockers off the snap and pull them before making sudden tackles at the line of scrimmage. With notable lateral agility, Williams is an efficient executor of twists and stunts so he’d most likely want to land on a team with an aggressive defensive coordinator. Williams will best fit anywhere from a three-technique to a nose tackle, but he showed enough juice to line up outside the offensive tackle during some exotic looks.
Strengths
- Well-proportioned thickness from top to bottom
- Reminds blockers who he is from the first to last whistle
- Lateral quickness to surprise interior blockers and win corners
- Strength to push-pull defenders against their will
Weaknesses
- Inconsistent sustain against double-teams
- Sustained hamstring injury while running the 40 at OSU pro day
- Does not feel pad level rising consistently enough
Athletic Testing
- Height: 6’3
- Weight: 329 pounds
- 40-yard dash: N/A
- 10-yard split: N/A
- Vertical jump: N/A
- Broad jump: N/A
- 3-cone drill: N/A
- Short shuttle: N/A
- Bench Press: N/A
Lions remaining picks
- Round 2, Pick 28 (60 overall)
- Round 3, Pick 38 (102 overall)
- Round 4, Pick 28 (130 overall)
- Round 6, Pick 20 (196 overall)
- Round 7, Pick 12 (228 overall)
- Round 7, Pick 28 (244 overall)
Top remaining needs for Lions:
- Defensive end
- Guard
Defensive tackle- Wide receiver
- Safety
- Linebacker
NFL Draft schedule
Day 1
What: Round 1
When: Thursday, April 25 — 8 p.m. ET until around 11:45 p.m.
TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
Online streaming: ESPN app, NFL Plus, ABC
Day 2
What: Rounds 2-3
When: Friday, April 26 — 7 p.m. ET until around 11:30 p.m.
TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
Online streaming: ESPN app, NFL Plus, ABC
Day 3
What: Rounds 4-7
When: Saturday, April 27 — Noon ET until around 7 p.m. ET
TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
Online streaming: ESPN app, NFL Plus, ABC