On the roster: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Alim McNeill, DJ Reader, Tyleik Williams, Levi Onwuzurike, Roy Lopez, Josh Paschal, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Mekhi Wingo, Pat O'Connor, Ahmed Hassanein, Chris Smith, Isaac Ukwu, Myles Adams, Mitchell Agude, Brodric Martin, Nate Lynn, Keith Cooper, Raequan Williams
Key losses: Za'Darius Smith, Kyle Peko
| Name | Games | Tackles | TFL | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aidan Hutchinson | 5 | 19 | 7 | 7.5 |
| Marcus Davenport | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.5 |
| Alim McNeill | 14 | 25 | 7 | 3.5 |
| DJ Reader | 15 | 23 | 4 | 3.0 |
| Tyleik Williams* | 13 | 46 | 8 | 2.5 |
| Levi Onwuzurike | 16 | 28 | 1 | 1.5 |
| Roy Lopez^ | 16 | 28 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Josh Paschal | 14 | 21 | 5 | 2.0 |
| Al-Quadin Muhammad | 9 | 11 | 4 | 3.0 |
| Mekhi Wingo | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Pat O'Connor | 12 | 18 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Ahmed Hassanein* | 14 | 48 | 16 | 9.5 |
| Chris Smith | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Isaac Ukwu | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Myles Adams | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Mitchell Agude | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Brodric Martin | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Keith Cooper* | 12 | 46 | 9 | 3.5 |
| Nate Lynn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Raequan Williams^ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
^with another team *college stats
Best competition: Edge depth
The best additions the Lions had this offseason weren't via free agency or the draft. It was simply getting players back from injury. No. 1 on the list is Pro Bowl edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who is fully cleared for football activities and looked good in the spring after missing most of last season with a broken leg. Hutchinson is one of the elite edge rushers in the NFL.
Davenport was also back on the field this spring after playing in only two games last year after an elbow injury ended his season prematurely. The Lions have high hopes for that veteran duo if they can keep both healthy through camp and into the regular season.
How the depth behind those two starters shakes out will be really interesting to watch through camp.
Paschal is headed into a critical fourth season, which is a contract year for the former second-round pick. Paschal has the versatility to play inside and on the edge, but the Lions list him as an edge heading into camp. He's a powerful bull rusher who sets a great edge in the run game, but the Lions are hoping for a little more sack production in 2025 (5.0 sacks his first three seasons).
Muhammad showed some good things as an injury replacement last season recording 3.0 sacks in nine games and just two starts. He was re-signed this offseason.
Ukwu, Agude and Lynn have shown real promise as young edge rushers. Lynn was lost for the season in training camp. Ukwu and Agude were on the practice squad most of the season but got an opportunity to play later in the season when the injuries started to pile up. Let's see what kind of gains they've made.
The wild card of the group is Hassanein, Detroit's sixth-round draft pick this offseason. The coaches like his skillset and motor. It will just come down to how quickly he can adjust to the speed and skill at the NFL level. He had terrific pressure and sack production at Boise State last season.
There's a lot of competition behind Hutchinson and Davenport for playing time and roster spots and it will be fun to watch how that plays out in camp and the preseason.
Twentyman's take: It almost feels like a new defensive line group for the Detroit Lions heading into training camp, but a lot of the names are familiar. Detroit suffered extensive long-term injuries along their defensive line last season that saw a number of players, including Hutchinson and Davenport, miss most of the 2024 season because of injury.
Now healthy, the Lions hope the return of their injured players, plus the additions of some veterans and rookies this offseason via free agency and the NFL Draft, will allow new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard the ability to send multiple waves at opposing quarterbacks to help coordinate a better rush and cover marriage.
Detroit is particularly deep along the interior of their front with the additions of Lopez via free agency and Williams being Detroit's first-round selection this spring. Detroit had the fourth most interior pressures by any team in the NFL last season. They probably won't get McNeill back until November, but that will be a terrific midseason addition, and I think they have the depth along the interior to play well in there while he rehabs and gets ready to return from an ACL injury suffered near the end of last season.
For me, it really just comes down to health. It seems unlikely the defense would suffer as many injuries as they did last year – knock on wood. Detroit has the talent, experience and depth upfront to be a consistently good front both stopping the run and getting after the passer if they can stay healthy and get the majority of the season out of their starters and key reserves.
View photos of the Detroit Lions defensive linemen heading into training camp.
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 3, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 28, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 30, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 29, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Alim McNeill (54) during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 15, 2024 in Detroit. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Alim McNeill (54) sacks Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans on Nov. 10, 2024 in Houston. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Alim McNeill (54) during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Nov. 28, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Alim McNeill (54) during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 24, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman DJ Reader (98) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 28, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman DJ Reader (98) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 28, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman DJ Reader (98) during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 15, 2024 in Detroit. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman DJ Reader (98) during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 22, 2024 in Chicago. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Marcus Davenport (92) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 28, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Marcus Davenport (92) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 29, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Marcus Davenport (92) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 28, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike (91) during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 22, 2024 in Chicago. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike (91) during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 24, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike (91) during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 5, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyleik Williams during rookie minicamp at the Meijer Performance Center on May 9, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyleik Williams during rookie minicamp at the Meijer Performance Center on May 9, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyleik Williams during rookie minicamp at the Meijer Performance Center on May 10, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Josh Paschal (93) during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Nov. 28, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Josh Paschal (93) celebrates after recovering a fumble during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 22, 2024 in Chicago. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ahmed Hassanein (61) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 29, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ahmed Hassanein (61) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 28, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Roy Lopez (51) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Roy Lopez (51) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 29, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad (96) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 3, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad (96) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 30, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Mitchell Agude (50) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 29, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Myles Adams (66) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 30, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Keith Cooper Jr. (64) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Nate Lynn (57) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 15, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Brodric Martin (99) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 6, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Pat O'Connor (95) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Chris Smith (90) during an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 3, 2024 in Green Bay, Wis. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Isaac Ukwu (45) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 30, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo (94) during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 20, 2024 in Minneapolis. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Carolina Panthers defensive end Raequan Williams walks to the NFL football team's practice in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, June 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
By the numbers:
4: Detroit kept opponents out of the end zone in four games last year, the most in the NFL.
29: Opponent rushes for negative yards last season against Detroit's defense. Only the Chargers (28) and Cowboys (24) generated fewer.
37.0: Sacks tallied by Detroit's defense in 2024, which tied for 23rd.
132: Total pressures generated from the interior of Detroit's defensive line last year. Denver (182), Seattle (139) and Philadelphia (137) were the only teams with more pressure generated from the interior of their defensive line.
345: Total pressures by Detroit's defense last season. That total was second in the league to only Denver (392).
1,672: Total rushing yards allowed by Detroit's defense in 2024, which ranked fifth best in the NFL. Baltimore (1,361), Minnesota (1,588), Denver (1,639) and Tampa Bay (1,663) were the only teams to allow fewer.
Quotable: "We need a lot of versatility because we want to try to be as disruptive as we can be up front," new defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers said. "Be able to slug it out when we need to slug it out, shake and bake when we need to shake and bake ... we have to be able to do it all."
