With the Detroit Lions making a pair of additions to their defensive line room this offseason, one NFL analyst believes a recent draft pick from 2021 could be on the chopping block.
In an article naming the best player from every team who could get cut this offseason, David Kenyon of Bleacher Report lists 2021 second-round pick and defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike as his choice for Detroit.
Here's Kenyon's thoughts on it:
Injuries, unfortunately, have plagued Levi Onwuzurike's recent seasons. He notched 35 tackles as a rookie in 2021 but has appeared in only 10 games since then. Detroit may have drafted a replacement with sixth-rounder Mekhi Wingo, and releasing Onwuzurike would trim $1.7 million from the books.
After playing all 16 games during his rookie campaign, Onwuzurike was forced to miss all of the 2022 season due to back surgery.
He followed that up with a 2023 season in which he saw the field for just 10 games and 132 defensive snaps. As far as we know, Onwuzurike, who played 396 snaps in total in Year 1, was healthy, he just simply didn't see the field much for Detroit.
Knowing that, the writing is on the wall that he may not be long for Detroit. Even if he stays, the addition of DJ Reader in free agency and Mekhi Wingo in the draft will make it even more difficult for him to see the field, assuming the latter is able to contribute during his first season.
It wouldn't be at all surprising if Onwuzurike is part of final cuts and ends up playing elsewhere in 2024. However, if the Lions believe he can make some semblances of an impact during a season in which the team has Super Bowl aspirations, they should hang on to him.