The Detroit Lions suffered a huge blow to their defensive line when Roy Lopez signed a two-year, $10.5 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals. Now, with Lopez gone and D.J. Reader still a free agent, the once crowded position group has become thinner and will need players to step up behind starters Alim McNeill and Tyleik Williams.
One name who’ll be getting plenty of spotlight next season is Levi Onwuzurike. Since Onwuzurike is entering the final year of his contract, the pressure is on him to prove he can be a valuable contributor to Detroit's defense. If not, his tenure with the Lions is likely over.
Levi Onwuzurike is Running Out of Time in Detroit
When Onwuzurike is on the field, he’s shown that he can be an impactful piece to Detroit’s defense. The former 2021 second-round selection has been solid throughout his career, logging 68 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 40 hurries. He showed great strides in becoming a three-down lineman in the 2024 season, accumulating 28 total tackles and 30 hurries across 16 games.
The problem, however, is that Onwuzurike struggles to stay on the field. Across his five seasons with the Lions, Onwuzurike has appeared in just 42 out of a possible 76 games, missing the entire 2022 and 2025 seasons due to injuries.
While he’s flashed the potential of being a long-term contributor to the defense, Detroit understands it cannot rely on Onwuzurike given his injury history, and it’s operated as such. The Lions used last year’s first-round selection on Williams and signed McNeill to a four-year, $97 million extension midway through the 2024 season, cementing their starting defensive tackles for the foreseeable future.
Now, with Onwuzurike coming off a torn ACL he sustained last July, he’ll compete with Chris Smith and Mekhi Wingo for backup reps. Of the three, Onwuzurike should see the majority of the backup reps. However, Detroit will likely add to the position before the start of the offseason workouts.
This is a critical stretch for Onwuzurike, as he must not only showcase that he’s back to full health, but also that he’s the same player he was before going down with the injury. If not, the Lions could consider releasing him. Even though they could just wait until his contract expires after the season, the Lions would save $1.2 million by releasing him at any point this offseason, according to Spotrac.
While this is an unlikely scenario considering the departures of Lopez and Reader, it’s a real possibility. The Lions have sustained far too many injuries the past two seasons and cannot afford to rely on an injury-prone player.
After failing to qualify for the playoffs last year, the Lions will need improved play from their depth on the defensive line to contend in the NFC North. Much of their success in previous years can be credited to their defensive line play, as they had a strong rotation that they could rely on.
That’s why this season is a prove-it year for Onwuzurike. If he’s to secure his future in Detroit, he must remain healthy for the majority of the season and must continue to generate pressure in the interior as he did in the 2024 campaign.
Otherwise, the Lions will look elsewhere to rebuild their defensive front behind Williams and McNeill.