Lions fans might have noticed that first-round rookie defensive tackle Tyleik Williams wasn’t much of a factor in the team’s Week 10 win over Washington. Or perhaps they didn’t notice him at all.
Williams played just eight snaps in Detroit’s 44-22 victory. That’s a season-low snap count, one week after the previous low (11) in the loss to Minnesota. The healthy return of starter Alim McNeill has definitely played a big role in the downturn for Williams, but it’s not that simple. Head coach Dan Campbell, in his weekly appearance on 97.1 The Ticket, talked about how Williams can get back to having a bigger role in the defensive line rotation.
“Tyleik’s just a young guy that is continuing to get better and growing,” Campbell told hosts Jim Costa and Jon Jansen. “There’s a little inconsistency at times, but that’s not out of the norm. Correct it, get a little bit better, and move on.”
Campbell continued,
“The hard thing for him, which is a good thing for all of us, is Mac (Alim McNeill) is playing good, (DJ) Reader’s playing good, (Roy) Lopez is playing good. So like, hey man, you got some good players in front of you right now. And so what you do is elevate his game, and then he’ll be in front of them.”
Lopez played a great game in Washington, bagging a sack and earning a lofty PFF grade. Campbell is proud of the veteran, who was signed this offseason from the Arizona Cardinals.
“Lopez has just been, really since he’s gotten here, he’s playing at a high level,” Campbell enthused. “It’s one of the reasons we wanted him here. He’s an outstanding role player for us. When he comes in, we don’t miss a beat, man. He can lift the point of attack, man. He can. He’s one of those guys. He plays with leverage. He’s stout, he’s strong, he’s explosive.”
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Dan Campbell sheds light on how rookie Tyleik Williams can earn more snaps
Reporting by Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
