The Detroit Lions are still roughly 24 hours away from the start of free agency, but they’ve already been busy shaping their roster for the 2026 season. One of the biggest puzzle pieces heading into next season is how they’ll use Tyleik Williams, who will be looking to build on a solid rookie year and earn a bigger role in his sophomore campaign.
The NFL’s legal tampering window opened on Monday, and the official start of the new league year isn’t until Wednesday afternoon, but Williams is already off to a good start. With Roy Lopez agreeing to return to the Arizona Cardinals and DJ Reader sounding like an ex-Lion, Williams’s fortunes are turning for the better, and it could help him have a major role when the Lions begin their offseason program in a few months.
Tyleik Williams’s Stock Pointing Up After Opening Day of Free Agency
While some teams committed a lot of money on the first day of the tampering window, the Lions’ headlines from Monday were more about what they didn’t do. This includes the departure of Lopez, who agreed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract.
A serviceable member of the Lions’ rotation, Lopez played almost the same amount of snaps (425) as Williams did last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and played a key role in Detroit’s run defense, finishing second among interior defenders with 14 run stops.
Ahead of Lopez was Reader, who played 583 snaps and led the Lions’ interior defenders with 15 run stops last season. But while his snap total was the highest among the group, he also acknowledged that he would be open to playing in his home state with the Carolina Panthers while speaking to Kay Adams on Monday.
“It’s a good team, man. I’d love to go home,” Reader said during the interview. “Like I said, all options are out there for me. I’d love to go home. I know my family and friends would be excited, some of my best friends would be super excited, man, and that’d be fun. It’d be fun to go back to Carolina. I love that city. Love the stadium, so it’d be cool.”
Reader was also asked about the possibility of joining his former team, the Cincinnati Bengals. While he admitted he “hadn’t heard much about either side about it,” he also didn’t slam the door shut for the chance to reunite with some of his old teammates.
“I would obviously be excited about something like that. I obviously believe in that team a lot,” Reader said. “Shoot, [Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase] on offense. I’m familiar with the defensive players. I love those guys over there. …You know [if] that opportunity comes up, I’d have to way my options on that.”
Even though Reader didn’t officially close the door on returning to Detroit, it has to be encouraging for Williams' future on the Lions' defense.
If Reader is next to leave, Williams would vault into a competition with the returning Levi Onwuzurike for the starting job next to Alim McNeill. Onwuzurike is returning to the Lions after his contract tolled to the 2026 season after suffering a season-ending knee injury before training camp, and could have some rust that Williams could use as an advantage to claim a top spot on the depth chart.
This would give Williams an even greater opportunity to build on last season. The Ohio State product recorded 18 total tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack in his rookie year, and PFF also credited Williams with 19 quarterback pressures and 12 run stops. While he could improve against the run, the potential is there with a 4.8% missed tackle rate, and at 23 years old, there’s enough upside to take another step forward.
After getting better as the year went on, that chance could come this summer if the Lions don’t add a veteran ahead of Williams on the depth chart, and it could lead to a big win for him as the opening days of free agency play out.