Exit interviews: Given investment, Detroit Lions will need more from defensive tackles in 2026
Wrapping up the Detroit Lions’ 2025 season, we’re doing our annual position-by-position evaluation of the roster. Today, we’ll focus on the play of the team’s defensive tackles.
The straightforward stats
DJ Reader: 17 starts, 583 snaps, 28 tackles, zero sacks, 20 pressures
Tyleik Williams: 17 games (10 starts), 446 snaps, 18 tackles, 1.0 sack, 19 pressures
Alim McNeill: 10 starts, 524 snaps, 14 tackles, 1.0 sack, 23 pressures
Roy Lopez: 17 games, 425 snaps, 30 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 13 pressures
Mekhi Wingo: Two games, 59 snaps, three tackles, zero sacks, two pressures
Pat O’Connor: Eight games (three starts), 10 tackles, zero sacks, two pressures
Advanced metrics
Detroit doesn’t expect much playmaking from the interior group, but the lack of impact was disappointing, nonetheless.
Let’s start with the run game, where a “stop” is credited on a tackle that constitutes an offensive failure. By that, we mean limiting the gain to fewer than 40% of the needed yardage on first down, 60% on second down or converting a third or fourth down.
Lopez led the Lions with a 6.5% run stop rate. That’s the percentage of run plays he was on the field where he was responsible for an offensive failure. That ranked 74th among interior defenders who played at least 20% of their team’s defensive snaps.
By the same metric, Reader ranked 93rd, Williams was 104th and McNeill 128th, out of 143 defensive tackles.