Lions secure edge help, reaching agreement with former Panthers starter D.J. Wonnum

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Allen Park — Wake up, everyone, the Detroit Lions have reached an agreement with an edge defender.

The Lions are signing D.J. Wonnum, who started 15 games for the Carolina Panthers last season. A fourth-round pick for the Minnesota Vikings out of South Carolina in 2020, he’s spent the past two seasons with the Panthers.

The one-year agreement is worth up to $6 million, according to multiple reports citing his representation.

The 6-foot-5, 258-pound Wonnum is an explosive athlete for his position, as verified by his pre-draft measurables, where he posted high-end results in the 40-yard dash, as well as the vertical and broad jumps.

Playing 668 defensive snaps for the Panthers last season, Wonnum recorded 42 tackles, 3.0 sacks and 31 quarterback pressures. He’s tallied at least 30 pressures in four of the past five seasons. He recorded a personal-best 42 pressures in 2021 with the Vikings, and delivered a career-high 8.0 sacks two seasons later.

Against the run, Wonnum’s 6.8% stop rate in 2025 ranked 17th among 55 edge rushers who played at least 200 run snaps.

Wonnum has been relatively durable during his career, appearing in at least 15 games four of the past five seasons. He did miss the first half of the 2024 campaign while working his way back from a torn quad he suffered at the end of the previous season.

Wonnum provides an immediate boost to one of the thinnest spots on the Detroit roster, bringing extensive starting experience where the Lions are looking for answers opposite Aidan Hutchinson.