The Detroit Lions bolstered their defensive line with Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams at No. 28 overall in the first round. With the selection, the Lions may very well have put a former high draft pick — veteran Levi Onwuzurike — on notice.
That’s what Pro Football Sports Network’s Sterling Xie argued on May 2. Xie named Onwuzurike his cut or trade candidate for the Lions.
“Levi Onwuzurike fits that big edge prototype as well, but he could get squeezed out in a numbers game. The former second-rounder hasn’t quite met the expectations many had for him when he entered the NFL, though he did tie for the team lead with 45 pressures last year. Still, that wasn’t enough to earn a multi-year deal in free agency, with Onwuzurike re-signing on a one-year, $4 million contract,” wrote Xie.
“That’s modest enough to make him a trade candidate, given that he was solid in a rotational role in 2024 and has pedigree as a high draft pick.”
The Lions drafted Onwuzurike at No. 41 overall in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He has underwhelmed from a statistical standpoint and only became a starter this past season.
However, Onwuzurike became a solid defensive line rotational piece in 2024. The 27-year-old posted 28 combined tackles and 13 quarterback hits last season.
Why Lions Could Trade or Release DT Levi Onwuzurike
Seemingly following the Philadelphia Eagles formula, the Lions have accumulated as much defensive line talent as possible.
What that means, though, is the team could face difficult roster decisions this summer.
“Although edge rusher might loom as a bigger need, the Detroit Lions now have plenty of beef on the interior of the defensive line,” Xie wrote. “First-round DT Tyleik Williams profiles as a plug-and-play option from Day 1.
“D.J. Reader and Roy Lopez are reliable veteran run-stuffers as well, while big edge rushers like Brodric Martin and Josh Paschal can kick inside on passing downs.”
Those are only the healthy interior defensive linemen for the Lions. At defensive end, the Lions have Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Mitchell Agude and 2025 third-round pick Ahmed Hassanein.
As Xie mentioned, Onwuzurike returned to Detroit on a one-year, $4 million contract this offseason. That could make him an affordable, veteran option for another team to trade for before NFL roster cutdown day.
If the Lions release Onwuzurike, they will accept a $3.5 million dead cap hit.
Why the Lions Will Keep Onwuzurike
On paper, it makes sense to label Onwuzurike a potential trade or cut candidate. As Xie put it, it could be a simple numbers game with the Detroit roster.
But there’s also a reason the Lions re-signed Onwuzurike.
“The Lions may not want to leave themselves short-handed on the interior if [Alim] McNeill is expected to miss most of 2025,” wrote Xie.
Alim McNeill suffered a torn ACL last December. Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters at the annual NFL owner’s spring meeting that McNeill probably won’t be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season.
“It’s tough to say right now when Mac will be back,” Campbell said, via The Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “ACLs are all a little bit different. Obviously, it’s not going to be training camp or probably even early part of the season.”
The Lions brought back Onwuzurike as insurance. The question now becomes if Detroit wants to keep that insurance or whether the team is ready to trust a first-round rookie in a larger role if McNeill misses significant time in the 2025 season.
