As Detroit Lions players start to descend upon Allen Park for training camp, one player appears to have gone through a complete body transformation this offseason.
Lions defensive tackle Tyleik Williams posted to Instagram on Monday with a caption claiming he has long 50 pounds over the last five months:
At the end of the season, Williams was listed at 328 pounds. Right now,
he’s listed at 325 pounds. At this point, it’s unclear if Williams will suddenly drop to under 300 pounds or if he’s talking specifically about body fat that may have been replaced by muscle.
UPDATE: Williams provided a little clarity about his weight here, suggesting he weighed more than the Lions’ website had him listed at the end of the year.
It’s worth noting that his position-mate Alim McNeill went through a similar body transformation early in his career. Back in 2023, McNeill said thanks to a stricter diet and more diligent stretching, he cut his body fat all the way down to 13%. But he stayed around the same 325 pounds that he played in the previous season. What followed was McNeill’s best season to date, posting 32 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and a career-high 86.8 PFF grade to go with 43 pressures.
Last year, the Lions took Williams in the first round of the 2025 draft, and spoke about how they view him very similarly to how they saw McNeill—a college nose tackle that has some untapped potential as a three-tech and pass rusher.
“He has a lot of similar traits to Alim McNeill, almost a similar body type,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said on draft night. “I just think that he–Alim came out more nose tackle-ish, a little bit. Obviously, (he) slimmed his body down (and) became a three-technique. I think [Williams] is kind of coming in closer to that right now.”
Are the Lions planning to make a full three-tech transition for Williams? Will he actually come in under 300 pounds or will he just be a “fitter” 325?
We’ll have to find out when Lions veterans report for training camp on Tuesday with their first practice scheduled for Wednesday.
