Tyleik Williams
Career Summary
Tyleik Williams is a defensive tackle from Manassas, Virginia. He played at Ohio State before the Detroit Lions selected him in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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High School
Williams attended Unity Reed High School in Manassas, Virginia. He was a four-star prospect, played in the Army All-America Bowl and was ranked among Virginia's top seniors and defensive tackles.
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College Career
Williams played 51 games with 25 starts at Ohio State, producing 136 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and 10 pass defenses. In 2024, he recorded 46 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks while helping the Buckeyes win the College Football Playoff national championship.
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Path to the NFL
Detroit selected Williams 28th overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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NFL Career
Williams entered his second Detroit season in 2026 after appearing in all 17 games with 10 starts as a rookie. The Lions list 18 tackles, four pass defenses, three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and one sack in that 2025 season; NFL.com lists two additional 2026 appearances through Week 2.
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Sources for this section
Career Accomplishments
Williams helped Ohio State win the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship. His honors included third-team All-Big Ten in 2023 and 2024, a 2023 Walter Camp second-team All-America selection and freshman All-America recognition in 2021.
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Playing Style
Williams played primarily as a three-technique at Ohio State. Detroit described him as an elite run defender and disruptive interior defender, while the Lions' draft analysis highlighted his violent first contact and nimble feet.
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Sources for this section
31542, 00-0040672, 2003-02-24, Tyleik Williams, Tyleik, Williams
MFT PLAYER RANKINGS
Current player ranking
MFT Score: 67.0
2026 preseason baseline. Position-relative and updated through the site’s weekly review process.