The Detroit Lions dealt with some serious injury issues last season, and things are not getting off to a good start in 2025. On the first day of training camp, head coach Dan Campbell announced to the media that defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike will miss the entire upcoming season while recovering from ACL surgery.
How does the news affect the Lions and their defense this season?
Lions Dealt Another Tough Blow To Their Defensive Line
Detroit was already thin at the position to begin with. Two of the players that were injured late in the season in 2024 are still rehabbing, as both Alim McNeill (ACL) and Mekhi Wingo (meniscus) are entering training camp on the PUP list. There is hope that both will be able to return at some point around the start of the regular season, but veterans DJ Reader and Roy Lopez will have to fill in for the time being.
Levi Onwuzurike will miss the season with an ACL injury pic.twitter.com/tKXXSD7E63
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) July 20, 2025
Onwuzurike’s absence also means more reps for the team’s first round draft pick. The Lions selected Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams with the 28th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and his development will likely be accelerated as Detroit looks for help along the defensive front.
They’ll lean on Williams and his abilities in the run stuffing game, while hoping that Aiden Hutchinson can return to his pass rushing form on the outside of the defensive line. Newly appointed defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will have a tough task to begin his tenure as he navigates the rotations on the front line of his unit.
Is Onwuzurike’s Time In Detroit Over?
Onwuzurike’s future with the Lions is now a massive question mark. The 27-year-old missed the entirety of the 2022 season as well while dealing with a back injury, and he played in just 10 games during the 2023 campaign.
Onwuzurike, a former second round pick, is signed a one-year deal to remain in Detroit, and will become a free agent at the end of the upcoming season. Of the 16 games he appeared in in 2024, he started 10 of them, and accounted for 28 total tackles and 1.5 sacks.
