Through the draft and free agency, the Detroit Lions strengthened their defensive line this offseason, which may force them to make some tough choices when it comes time to finalize the roster at the end of the summer. SB Nation’s John Whiticar made an early roster projection for the team that included 53 players, predicting that former second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike might end up outside of the 53-man cut. After an injury-shortened career in Detroit, Whiticar selected Mekhi Wingo, a sixth-round draft pick, in the fourth and last place for defensive tackles, ahead of Onwuzurike.
Whiticar stated, “meanwhile, the drafting of Wingo renders Onwuzurike expendable, and it might be the final straw for the former second rounder.” Levinas Onwuzurike Designated as a Removed Candidate After joining the Lions in the second round of the 2021 draft, Onwuzurike failed to establish himself as a regular player for the final three seasons. During his debut season, he played in 16 games but only recorded one sack and 35 total tackles. Due to a back injury, Onwuzurike missed his second NFL season. He then made a comeback in 2023, but in a much reduced capacity. Last season, he played in ten games and recorded five total tackles and one sack.
Onwuzurike has already been identified by some as a possible cut target for this offseason. For the cap savings, the Lions might move on, according to Christian Booher of SI.com’s All Lions.
“For a 2021 second-round pick, Onwuzurike’s career has started very lackluster,”
Booher remarked. “Choosing to part ways with the Washington product this offseason would result in cap savings of less than $1.8 million.”Onwuzurike might be difficult to let go of because he still has the ability to have a significant influence on the Lions. Nevertheless, he appeared in just 10 games throughout the regular season and was occasionally a healthy scratch.
Lions Boost Their Defensive Line This summer,
the Lions strengthened their defensive line by adding veteran D.J. Reader to a two-year deal. The official team website’s Tim Twentyman stated that Reader, who turns 30 in July, is regarded as one of the “most powerful inside defenders” in the league. Throughout his career, Twentyman said, “he has been great against the run and can also create some disruption in the passing game.” “He’s only had 9.5 career sacks through eight seasons, but in each of the last three, he’s delivered at least 32 pressures.”
The reader expressed his excitement at playing next to defensive lineman Alim McNeill. Reader remarked, “I can’t wait to pair with him and see what he does well.” “I constantly watch him on screen. I can’t wait to spend some time with him and ask him about his favorite aspects of the job. Every guy has different things they want to do when playing D-tackle, and since I have things of my own, I just want to chat with him about it, get some advice, find out what he’s up to, and see where our futures can take us.