The Lions are beefing up their defense. Detroit selected Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams with the No. 28 pick in the NFL Draft Thursday night.
Williams is a 6'3, 335-pound "drain-clogging run defender with violent first contact and nimble feet," per NFL.com's Lance Zierlein -- who compares Williams to none other than Alim McNeill.
"Girthy lower body with big, meaty hands," Zierlein says.
While Williams was widely projected to go in the second round, Brad Holmes and the Lions clearly see a first-round talent. And the Lions will likely lean on him from the jump as McNeill recovers from a torn ACL. In time, McNeill and Williams could form one of the most feared duo of interior defenders in the NFL.
Williams "physically dominates man-on-man matchups but inconsistent pad level and shorter arms hinder his double-team take-ons," says Zierlein. He will strengthen a defense that ranked fifth in the NFL against the run last season, but 30th against the pass.
The Lions also bring back veterans DJ Reader and Levi Onwuzurike on the interior of the D-line. That makes for a good pair of mentors for Williams as he finds his footing in the NFL, Reader more of a run-stuffer, Onwuzurike more of a pass-rusher.
Williams had 46 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 13 games for the national-champion Buckeyes last season, and 53 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks in 13 games the season prior.