Four Lions defensive linemen – Mekhi Wingo, Josh Paschal, and Levi Onwuzirke – suffered injuries during Thursday’s win. Wingo (knee) was able to return to the game, but Paschal (knee) and Onwuzirke (hamstring) missed the entire second half. Za’Darius Smith, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and DJ Reader were able to pick up the slack with 22 combined quarterback pressures, per Next Gen Stats, but Detroit still needed additional depth to weather the injuries.
Williams has appeared in just seven games this year – one for the Vikings and seven for the Rams – but he played in 33 games with 22 starts across 2022 and 2023 in Los Angeles. The versatile defender can line up off the edge or on the interior, so he could play a similar role as Paschal and John Cominsky, according to Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers.
Williams began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Rams in 2020 when current Lions general manager Brad Holmes was the Rams’ director of college scouting, so Holmes “would have been heavily involved in scouting the lineman,” per Rogers.
The Lions currently have 53 players on their active roster, so they will need to make a move to accommodate Williams. That will likely be placing linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez on injured reserve after his ACL tear on Thursday.