Tyleik Williams gives the Lions defense a physical and consistent presence in the middle
Tyleik Williams gives the Lions defense a physical and consistent presence in the middle
It may have surprised some people that the Detroit Lions opted to select Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Taking a defensive tackle may not be the highest of needs when you glance at the depth chart but the more you dive into the situations, it does make more sense.
There's a lot of doubt on whether defensive tackle Alim McNeill will be available to start the 2025 regular season. He's recovering from a torn ACL he suffered against the Buffalo Bills in December. With recent data suggesting a 10 to 11 month return-to-play is expected. There could be a chance that he returns a game or two after the Lions week-8 bye.
In addition to the injury to McNeill, the Lions also don't have much long-term depth. DJ Reader is on the final year of his deal and has battled through injuries in the past. The Lions did sign nose tackle Roy Lopez to a one-year deal this off-season and they did bring back Levi Onwuzurike on a one-year deal. With question marks beyond this season, Williams gives them a long-term answer to pair with McNeill for the future. Contracts and the depth chart aside, let's dive into some film to see what Williams can provide the Lions defensive line.
During my preparation for the Senior Bowl, I watched two games of Tyleik Williams from last season. One of the first games I watched was the regular season matchup between Oregon and Ohio State. Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams (DT #91) highlighted and aligned as a 3-technique. Prior to the snap, one of the skilled players was sent into motion and you can see Williams communicate to the defensive end next to him.
Once the ball is snapped, the right tackle attempts to cross the face of Williams on this zone run. However, Williams does a great job maintaining separation while working laterally. In the process, you'll see him peek into the backfield more than once. As he continues to pursue to the football, he ends up making the tackle.
Moving to the next play, I want to focus on Williams showcasing his ability to play with violence. This will be a steady theme for him on film. Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams (DT #91) highlighted and aligned as a 3-technique.
Once the ball is snapped, Williams immediately asserts his dominance by maintaining a square base and executes a push-pull move perfectly to break free from the right guard. As the play continues to develop, Williams finds himself in a good position to either tackle the running back or the quarterback. Navigating to the football, he discovers that the quarterback has the ball and he works his way towards him.
Despite not being able to make the tackle, he does slow the quarterback down and forces him to go another direction. With how much zone read, read-option and play-action plays the Lions have seen from teams such as the 49ers, Eagles and Commanders, having a player such as Williams should be beneficial. He plays under control with plenty of power to disrupt plays and timing in the backfield.
Whether we see Williams play as a 3-technique, 1-technique or even a zero shade is yet to be determined. However, one thing is for sure, at 6' 3" and 334 pounds, Williams will see multiple blockers. Potentially having to face double teams consistently.
Focusing on the next play, we look at the play above between Ohio State and Texas. While this play doesn't showcase Williams being able to split a double team and make a tackle for loss, it does just show the type of power and navigation skills he possess for a defense.
On the reverse, the play goes away from Williams but that's not important. Watch how he swims over the right guard and holds his ground at the point-of-attack (POA) against the right tackle. Had the ball been ran in his direction, I feel confident in thinking that Williams would have clogged any openings for the running back.
As I mentioned previously, it's more likely that Williams will face multiple blockers than being left one-on-one with an offensive lineman. Fortunately, he's shown on multiple occasions that he'll be just fine. Using the play above as another example, you'll see Williams show off his strength, flexibility and feel for handling multiple blockers.
Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams aligned as a 3-technique again. Once the ball is snapped, he's met by multiple blockers. Following behind that is the backside guard pulling and the tight end (H-back) wrapping on this designed Q G/H Counter play. Fortunately for Williams, the two inside linebackers (LB #20 and LB #0) do a good job scraping and meeting the two pullers. This gives him time and he capitalizes on it.
In the process, you'll see Williams drop to his knee and show off his play strength against the left guard and left tackle. As he navigates to the backfield, he meets the quarterback in the hole and stuffs him for no gain. With how linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell play, the addition of Williams could do wonders for them.
Lastly, I want to focus on Williams crossing face and ripping under a block to make a tackle for loss. Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams highlighted as a 3-technique. Once the ball is snapped, he quickly crosses the face of the right guard and rips underneath to ensure he remains free. As he locks onto the running back, it's game over from there on this attempted GT Counter run from Oregon.
Overall, it's easy to see why Tyleik Williams was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He shows great pre-snap communication on every play, he has the desired play strength to disrupt or hold his ground at the point-of-attack and there's violence with the way he plays. There's been some debate on whether he plays as a 3-technique or 2i-technique, zero shade, etc but in today's NFL, you have to be versatile.
Despite my thought process of Williams being a plug-and-play starter as a 3-technique in Detroit, he will provide versatility from day one. In addition to that, he provides experience. In college, he started 25 games with 51 games played and he played against some of the top offensive lineman in the country on a weekly basis. This selection may not move the needle for every fan but it's a move that will give the Lions defense a physical and consistent presence in the middle of their defense.
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