He now joins a Lions defensive tackle rotation that includes McNeill, DJ Reader, Levi Onwuzurike, Roy Lopez, Mekhi Wingo, Pat O’Connor and others. McNeill, who suffered a torn ACL in mid-December, might not be ready for the start of the season, so Williams gives Detroit an active interior defender who is a terrific power rusher with a similar skillset to McNeill.
Where Williams really has a chance to shine early on for the Lions is on first and second down as a run defender, though he said his pass rush is a little undervalued because of the scheme he played at Ohio State. He’s got nimble feet for a player his size and 46 tackles as a DT last season means he’s always around the ball. He’s got a chance to be a very good inside presence for Detroit’s defense in 2025 and beyond.
Williams was a running back growing up and said he was always the biggest and fastest player on the field until he grew into a defensive tackle body. He never lost those quick running back feet and that certainly shows up on tape along with terrific speed for a man his size.
