Detroit Lions fans were hoping for a splashy addition to their pass rush rotation after the 2025 season came to an end. The quality and depth at EDGE was considered a major weakness. Instead of a big swing in the spring, the Lions opted to bring in veteran defensive end DJ Wonnum on a one-year deal. The 28-year-old defender lucked into an excellent situation for himself and is a massive winner of the offseason.
Even though the Lions selected Derrick Moore in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Wonnum is projected to be the Week 1 starter opposite Aidan Hutchinson. This sets the former Panthers defender up very well to have a bounce-back season.
Not only does Wonnum have little competition on the roster besides Moore, but he will also have a favorable matchup on a weekly basis next to Hutch. With less attention on him from the opposing offensive lines, Wonnum could go back to his more productive days when he was in Minnesota.
DJ Wonnum has an excellent opportunity to bounce back in 2026
Before signing with the Lions, Wonnum's career was trending downward. There were high expectations for him in Carolina when he signed a two-year, $12.5 million deal in the 2024 offseason. His two eight-sack seasons as a Viking gave Panthers fans hope that he could help turn their franchise around.
However, Wonnum's first year in Carolina was shortened by injury, and the Panthers had the worst defense in the league. Last year was relatively healthy, but Wonnum tied his career-low number in sacks with three for the whole season. Despite playing in 16 games and 68% of defensive snaps, Wonnum's production was pedestrian, finishing with four tackles for loss and four QB hits to go with his three sacks.
In his seventh season in the NFL, Wonnum is finally on a Super Bowl contender. Having made the playoffs twice in his career, the veteran defensive end will now start on one of the Super Bowl favorites for the first time. Given how his two seasons in Carolina went, this has to be a huge win for Wonnum.
Towards the end of the 2023 season, Wonnum suffered a partially torn left quad and underwent surgery. The complications from this resulted in him missing the first half of his first season in Carolina. Numbers show that the former fourth-round pick hasn't been the same since the injury.
Now that the surgery is over two years behind him, Lions fans hope that Wonnum can contribute at a high level. This is an excellent opportunity for Wonnum to prove his worth not only to the Lions but to the rest of the league elsewhere. What he makes of this opportunity will be a big factor in how far Detroit goes in 2026.
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