There were many questions facing the Detroit Lions this season, but one of the biggest was when defensive lineman Alim McNeill would return. The 25-year-old was having a big season in the middle of Detroit’s defense, logging 25 tackles with seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks before he suffered a torn ACL last December, and with the injury happening so late in the season, it was likely his recovery would carry over to the 2025 campaign.
This meant that McNeill started the season on the physically unable to perform list and missed the first six games of the year. While that was expected, Dan Campbell dropped a bombshell when he said McNeil “is freakin’ playing,” “barring something happening this week” during his weekly interview on 97.1 The Ticket.
Despite Campbell adding the outlier that this is contingent on “something happening this week,” according to The Detroit Free Press’s Dave Birkett, it’s great news for the Lions' defense. That is, unless your name is Tyleik Williams.
Detroit's first-round pick from April’s draft has struggled in his first six games in the NFL. Now, McNeill’s return could push Williams back to the bench and potentially phase him out of the Lions' defensive rotation altogether.
Alim McNeill’s Return Reveals Harsh Truth to Lions Rookie Tyleik Williams
The traditional stats for Williams haven’t looked great in the early stages of his NFL career, as he has recorded just four total tackles and seven quarterback pressures over 96 pass-rushing snaps in his first six games. Pro Football Focus hasn’t been kind to the rookie either, as he has the lowest overall grade (51.3) among Detroit’s interior defenders.
Even when going against the run, which was one of the calling cards of his draft stock coming out of Ohio State, Williams hasn’t performed as expected in the NFL with a 43.8 grade from PFF, despite a team-leading four run stops. Although he has yet to miss a tackle, he hasn’t put himself in a position to make plays, despite starting in all six games and averaging 30.5 snaps.
In his defense, Williams was seen as an “upside pick” heading into his rookie season, and the season-ending knee injury to defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike may have thrown him into the fire earlier than Detroit had wanted. But Lions beat reporter Tim Twentyman also believed that Williams was “expected to make an immediate impact for Detroit’s defense as a rookie,” which hasn’t happened yet and may not happen with McNeill’s return.
This also comes on the heels of what has been a tumultuous six months for the rookie. He missed part of spring practices due to a hamstring injury that occurred while attempting the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day last March. Then, Campbell challenged him to get in better shape during training camp, suggesting he was further behind than the team would have preferred.
This isn’t to suggest that Williams is officially a bust six games into his career. Perhaps the opportunity to take a step back and observe will give him a chance to sharpen his craft and work sparingly. But there’s a greater chance that defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard rides with his veterans and leaves the rookie to analyze his game on the sidelines.