Detroit, MI
NFL Draft grades: Lions get clean fit, debatable value in Tyleik Williams
In years past, Brad Holmes has shown a willingness to move up and down in the first round. Big swings like 32 to 12 for Jameson Williams in 2022, or a willingness to move back and wait for his prospect to fall to him like Jahmyr Gibbs in 2023. But in 2025, Holmes let the board come to him with the Lions’ first-round pick.
The Detroit Lions selected Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams at pick No. 28, making him the fifth interior defender off the board and the 10th defensive linemen to be drafted in the first round. Earlier this week, ESPN’s Dan Graziano predicted there could be a run on defensive linemen on Thursday night, and while it didn’t happen all that early as Graziano forecasted, it still played out that way before the Lions’ pick.
Still, that didn’t deter Holmes, someone who’s been unafraid of bucking need for value, from taking Williams. Much like a year ago, the Lions were afforded the opportunity to let the draft shake itself out. And much like a year ago, there seemed spots where Detroit could make a move to go up and get a guy with a first-round grade on their board.
In the end, Holmes went with Williams, a massive piece for the middle of the Lions defensive line at 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds. Williams lined up mostly as a three-technique for the Buckeyes defense despite his unusual size for the position. Run defense is at the forefront of his player profile, something Brian Baldinger highlighted shortly after the Lions made him the pick.
It’s easy to see the long-term fit next to Alim McNeill: both capable of moonlighting in the middle of the defense at nose tackle, but also having unusual size plus footwork and agility to make plays in the backfield as a three-tech. In the short term, the Lions have a guy who could very well be ready to step in and be productive immediately while McNeill rehabs from his ACL injury.
Williams recorded an 88.6 run defense grade in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus, the eighth-best mark among 539 qualifying interior defenders in FBS. While he has all the physical tools—athleticism, size, and strength—to play the run as effectively as he does, many analysts (and Holmes) highlight the football intelligence Williams’ possesses. Dane Brugler of The Athletic highlighted that Williams “… has outstanding awareness to identify pre-snap clues and anticipate play design … he is one of the best run-defending linemen in the draft class because of his recognition skills and disciplined execution at deconstructing blocks.” For those reasons, as Holmes remarked on Thursday night to the media, he’s a natural fit for the Detroit Lions.
What’s not as evident in Williams’ game is his pass-rush plan. Despite playing more than 320+ pass-rushing snaps in each of his last two seasons at Ohio State, Williams never registered more than 22 pressures in either season. He tallied just 11.5 sacks in his four-year collegiate career with his freshman season being the most productive (5.0). In spite of fans pining for Detroit to add an edge defender, the Lions opted to go with Williams at pick No. 28. Detroit passed on higher-ranked edge rushers like Jihaad Campbell, who went just three picks later to Philadelphia, and with names like Mike Green and Donovan Ezeiruaku also still available, the Lions clearly prioritized interior disruption over edge help.
Could Holmes have afforded to be more patient with the board and wait on Williams, or a similarly-tiered player? The Los Angeles Rams were able to move back 20 spots and into the second round for a future first-round pick from the Atlanta Falcons. The Houston Texans added a third-round pick this year (99) and next year to move back from 25 to 34. It takes two to make a deal happen, and maybe it just wasn’t there for Detroit in the end.
Detroit upgraded their defensive line in the immediate and created a blueprint for the future of their interior. Williams is exactly the kind of player the Lions covet when it comes to his football smarts and ability to defend the run, and it’s easy to see his path to contributing. He is as much an identity pick as you’ll find in the first round. But it’s also fair to question if Holmes got the most value out of the 28th overall pick by selecting a prospect that checked in at No. 41 among the Top 300 of Arif Hasan’s Consensus Big Board.
Williams is a clear identity and scheme fit, and there’s no doubt he’ll help Detroit’s run defense right away. Questions about his upside as a pass rusher and draft value keep this pick from earning top marks, but the commitment to solidifying the interior of the defensive line make this a pick that’s hard to scrutinize too much.
My grade: B
Poll
How would you grade the selection of Tyleik Williams?
Detroit, MI
The first Detroit Lions OC candidate has emerged
Blough is only two years into his coaching career after retiring from playing after the 2023 season. He has spent the last two seasons as the Washington Commanders’ assistant quarterbacks coach, helping young quarterback Jayden Daniels emerge as a strong franchise player for Washington. Late in the 2025 season, Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard took the Stanford head coaching job, leaving Blough to serve as the interim quarterbacks coach for the rest of the season.
While backing up Jared Goff in Detroit, Blough was often described by the coaching staff as an excellent backup and strong offensive mind.
“I love the kid, if I’m being totally honest with you,” Campbell said back in 2021. “He’s just a little football player. And when I say that, I mean that in the highest regard. Look, he’s smart. He’s extremely smart. He knows where to go with the football, I love his timing. He knows how to command the huddle, he communicates well and on top of that, he’s a hell of a dude, by the way. He just is. So, he has not disappointed. He’s doing a good job. He’s out there competing with the rest of those guys.”
As of now, this is the only known candidate for the Lions’ offensive coordinator position, but it’s still early in the process. When more candidates emerge, we’ll have a tracker so you can see all of the names in one place.
Detroit, MI
Popular Detroit sports columnist announces stage 4 cancer diagnosis
Longtime Detroit sports radio host and columnist Pat Caputo has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he announced Monday.
Caputo, a host on Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket, last published a column on Nov. 7. On Monday, he explained the reason behind his absence.
“For those wondering where I’ve been: I have been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, commonly referred to as a “death sentence” and had two other serious ailments which put me in ICU for several days,” Caputo wrote in a post to X. “It was sudden. I’ve literally been on my back for weeks. Bless you all.”
Caputo, 66, became a well-known personality in Detroit sports media during his time as an award-winning columnist for The Oakland Press from 1983-2020, according to the Detroit Free Press. He also was previously part of WXYT’s “Evening Sports” broadcast, and is an official voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame and college football’s Heisman Trophy award, according to his X bio.
Caputo is nicknamed “The Book” for his impressive memory retaining sports stats and information, according to FOX 2 in Detroit, where he has been a regular guest on its “Sports Works” broadcast.
Caputo’s social media announcement regarding his health drew support from fellow sports media professionals, including Brad Galli, sports director at WXYZ Detroit, and ESPN’s Dan Wetzel and Dave Pasch.
“Pat, we’re praying for [you],” Galli wrote. “Awful awful awful to read this, man. God bless you.”
“Legend. Stay strong my friend. So much support out here for you,” Wetzel posted.
“Book, praying for you my friend. So sorry to hear this,” Pasch wrote.
Detroit, MI
Murder trial starts this week in death of Detroit neurosurgeon Devon Hoover
DETROIT (WXYZ) — Desmond Burks’ murder trial starts this week. On Monday, he attended his pre-trial hearing. Burks faces first-degree murder, felony murder and larceny charges in the death of Dr. Devon Hoover.
The prominent Detroit neurosurgeon was found dead in his attic in April 2023 after Detroit police performed a wellness check. Investigators said he had been shot twice in the head and his body was wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet.
Watch Darren Cunningham’s video report below:
Trial set to begin in Dr. Devon Hoover murder case
At the pre-trial, Judge Paul Cusick set the tone for how he expects the trial to go. It could last several weeks, according to court administration.
“Obviously, there’s always been respect shown to this court by the defendant and attorneys in this case, and all of the witnesses need to show the respect that is going to be required. There will be no outburst from any witnesses or anyone else during the proceedings,” the judge said.
Cusick discussed scheduling for the trial, starting with jury selection Wednesday and outlined restrictions for news media.
“Media is prohibited from showing and/or publishing the faces of any civilian witnesses not employed by the government,” he read.
WXYZ
Those same restrictions were in place during the preliminary hearing.
At the prelim, a number of people testified that they were former lovers of Desmond Burks.
Those men and women described Burks as a hustler and said he would send them money from an unknown Cash App and then have them send the money back to his Cash App.
Watch our coverage of the third day of the preliminary hearing below:
Day 3 concludes in Desmond Burks’ preliminary hearing in murder of Dr. Devon Hoover
Burks is accused of stealing more than $30,000 from Hoover via credit card and fraudulent bank transactions, and Burks allegedly used other people to execute his plan.
Investigators said text messages revealed Burks had an intimate relationship with Hoover and was sometimes paid for sexual services.
Watch our coverage of the second day of the preliminary hearing below:
Mystery backpack focus of testimony during day 2 of Hoover preliminary hearing
Testimony from the prelim also revealed that authorities zeroed in on Burks, in part, through cellphone records and surveillance footage involving Hoover’s stolen truck.
During the trial, we may hear from a close relative of Burks who identified him in surveillance footage during the prelim. The footage allegedly shows Burks walking away from Hoover’s stolen vehicle.
Watch our coverage of the first day of the preliminary hearing below:
Preliminary hearing begins for man charged with killing Dr. Devon Hoover
The jury selection process is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
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