The Detroit Lions are depending on several of their young players to make a leap in 2026, and quite arguably the most important might be Tyleik Williams.
Many were shocked when Williams was Detroit's first-round pick in 2025, and he only showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie as he adjusted to the league. Part of that adjustment is getting in an NFL weight room and crafting a body ready for the league.
This year, Williams has shown up in major shape and is looking good ahead of this season. His weight is not only under control, but exactly where the Lions want it to be. Head coach Dan Campbell has taken notice, and admits he is very happy with where the youngster is at to start this season.
"Really proud of him. He's a man of his word. Before we drafted him, Brad (Holmes) and I did say, 'Is there going to be an issue with your weight?' (He said) no. He came in two weeks before our program even started in the spring and was pretty heavy and said, 'I want to get this right.' And he put in the work. Scott (Nealon) did a hell of a job with him, nutritionist. Got him right. Then he's just put the work in."
"(Williams) came in 325, made his weight, crushed the conditioning test. Like I told him (and) the team, now he's put some money in the bank of trust. It's awesome. Really fired up for him. It's a credit to him. That's where we want him, right around that 325 range." -Dan Campbell
In terms of play, Williams did play decently as a rookie, posting 18 tackles, one sack and four passes defended in 17 games played. He only had 10 starts, however, which means the opportunity is there to become a full-time contributor this season. By meeting the Lions halfway, it seems Williams is serious about finding a way on the field to make an impact.
Dan Campbell believes Tyleik Williams can earn a bigger role within Lions defense
Defensively, the Lions need Williams to look like a difference maker this season. Alim McNeill will be back to his old self, but beyond that, Detroit lost DJ Reader and Roy Lopez in free agency. Letting those two walk could have been by design, though, given the Lions had a potentially dynamic youngster waiting in the wings.
Williams has already earned trust with his transformation, and now is looking to earn even more by seeing the field consistently. That's an opportunity that Campbell is looking forward to providing as practice and the season get underway.
"Our eyes are open and we're willing to give him an opportunity if there's a little bit more that shows. Maybe he's out there a little bit more on third-down. Certainly we're open to that. We like Tyleik. We absolutely know there's a role for him and there's something that he can do for us that we feel like really helps us. Can it be even more than that? Yeah, our eyes are open." -Dan Campbell
From here on out, the opportunity is there for Williams to make an impression and stand out when on the field. Step one has already taken place with the transformation of the body. It will be fascinating to see how far the youngster can take step two.
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