It is no secret that the Detroit Lions dealt with their share of injuries during a disappointing 2025 season that ended without a playoff appearance. One player who could have benefited from filling in for his fallen teammates is second-year defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo, who endured a challenging sophomore campaign after his rookie season was cut short with a meniscus injury.
Wingo was a healthy scratch for 14 consecutive games following his Week 2 debut against the Chicago Bears, spending most of the season on the bench. It doesn't help that the competition was fierce ahead of him, as Alim McNeill, D.J. Reader, Tyleik Williams, and Roy Lopez occupied the top spots on the pecking order.
"It's just this all comes down to a numbers game," defensive coach Kacy Rodgers told reporters, per Sports Illustrated's John Maakaron. "I was watching when the show team was out, (Mekhi has) been running some of their reps, and his explosiveness, he's just ripping through there. He said, 'Coach, you know I'm just ready when you need me.' So that's kind of it, because of the way it is."
With the possibility of the Lions losing Lopez in free agency, largely due to him being caught in a cap crunch, they may not need to panic about replacing him when they already have Wingo, someone who has proven he can make key plays when he is actually on the field.
Mekhi Wingo Could Play a Bigger Role for Lions in 2026
Wingo only appeared in two games during the 2025 season, but he certainly gave Detroit enough of a reason to consider getting him some more snaps next season.
In the regular-season finale against the Bears, specifically, as Pride of Detroit's Al Karsten pointed out, Wingo popped off the screen with impressive plays, keeping Chicago from advancing the ball and using his burst of speed to make tackles down the field.
He also tallied two quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, giving him seven across 148 pass-rush opportunities since 2024.
In his two seasons so far, Wingo has 12 total tackles in 13 games played and has yet to play an entire season. Again, when you consider who is ahead of him on the Lions depth chart, it makes sense why his overall production has been limited, even after the injury in his rookie season.
Furthermore, Levi Onwuzurike missed the entire season, and McNeill missed part of the season — both due to torn ACLs — so the fact that Wingo did not get any more playing time than he did in light of the injuries is not a good sign, either.
Williams, who also dealt with a limited snap count, took advantage of the injuries and rebounded from a slow start to the season, a reminder for Wingo that there can still be a path toward a better role on this roster. As he continues to impress coaches with his explosiveness and relentless effort, such as the plays he made against the Bears, it is clear that Wingo more than deserves to move up the depth chart.
If Lopez goes elsewhere and spots become available for next season, Wingo should be in line to benefit the most. He may not have the overall body of work two years into his career that others have, but the glimpses of his potential are there, and a reason why this offseason could work out in his favor.