Lions C Frank Ragnow Retires
Frank Ragnow‘s playing days have come to an end. The Pro Bowl center has informed the Lions he plans to retire, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Ragnow was away from the team during OTAs, but not as a result of a contract dispute. Instead, the 29-year-old was contemplating his options while weighing the possibility of continuing his career against the numerous injuries he has dealt with in the NFL. Health concerns led to today’s decision, which is now official. 
“These past couple of months have been very trying as I’ve come to the realization that my football journey is ending and I’m officially retiring from the NFL,” Ragnow wrote on Instagram Monday. “I’ve tried to convince myself that I’m feeling good but I’m not and it’s time to prioritize my health and my family’s future. I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don’t.
“I have to listen to my body and this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life. The Lions organization has been absolutely incredible throughout this process and I can’t emphasize enough how grateful I am for this team and all the fans.”
An injury limited Ragnow to four games in 2021, but he managed to suit up for either 15 or 16 games during each of the past three seasons. This included playing through a pectoral injury last season. The former first-rounder earned a Pro Bowl nod every year in that stretch, bringing his career total to four. Ragnow earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2020, and he matched that feat over both of the past two campaigns. He operated as a Lions’ starter upon arrival, later becoming a key piece during a rebuild that saw the O-line play a pivotal role. But for the first time in seven years the team will be without his services.
Ragnow drew middling PFF evaluations during his rookie season as a guard, sliding to center ahead of his second season. Since then, he ranked among the league’s best at the center spot. The Arkansas product finished no worse than sixth for qualifying centers in terms of overall grade (with the exception of his brief 2021 season, when he earned a mark of 86.7 in his limited action). Expectations would have remained high moving forward, and two years remained on Ragnow’s contract. Now, though, his attention will turn to his post-playing days.
Detroit has veteran Graham Glasgow in place as an option to handle first-team center duties. The 32-year-old has spent much of his career at both guard spots, with that being the case for the majority of his two Lions stints. In 2018, though, Glasgow did operate as the team’s starting center before Ragnow took over that role. Glasgow also served as a Broncos center starter in 2022, replacing an injured Lloyd Cushenberry after Quinn Meinerz had taken Glasgow’s right guard spot. Another option at the center position would be second-round rookie Tate Ratledge. Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo notes both Ragnow and Ratledge have taken center reps this spring.
The Lions managed to keep a number of depth options in place along the offensive line this offseason, but right guard Kevin Zeitler departed in free agency. Today’s news means multiple moves will need to be made along the interior ahead of the 2025 campaign. Expectations will remain high for Detroit’s offense in no small part due to the play of the team’s O-line. That unit will nevertheless be notably different with Ragnow no longer in the fold.
After exceling on his rookie pact, Ragnow landed a 2021 extension. Only three centers have since surpassed the AAV of Ragnow’s extension ($13.5MM), an indication of the center position’s market but also his value to the Lions. After 100 combined regular and postseason appearances, Ragnow will depart the NFL with roughly $57MM in career earnings.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/2/25
Today’s minor moves, including a handful of recent retirements that were made official:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Josh Thompson
- Waived: CB Benny Sapp
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve-retired list: DT Michael Pierce (story)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Divaad Wilson
- Waived/injured: CB Gavin Holmes
Green Bay Packers
- Waived/injured: WR Jadon Janke
- Waived from IR: DL Jeremiah Martin
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve-retired list: CB Ronald Darby (story)
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on reserve-retired list: OT Terron Armstead (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Marcus Tate
- Placed on reserve-retired list: DE Brandon Graham (story)
Lions’ John Morton Hire, Kelvin Sheppard Promotion Driven By Continuity Concerns
After three consecutive winning seasons and two straight NFC North titles, and after coming heart-wrenchingly close to a Super Bowl appearance at the end of the 2023 campaign, the Lions have had to come to grips with the reality that other successful franchises face: a brain drain. On the heels of its 15-2 showing in 2024, Detroit lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, as both men accepted head coaching gigs elsewhere.
However, the Lions did not search far and wide to replace them (as our 2025 coordinator tracker shows). With respect to the OC post, there were no publicly-reported interviews other than the one for John Morton, and new DC Kelvin Sheppard’s only competition for his job prior to his promotion was Buccaneers inside linebackers coach Larry Foote.
As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press confirms, that was by design. Although it would be reductive to say that Morton and Sheppard landed their positions solely due to continuity concerns, Birkett says continuity was certainly a major factor.
Morton, 55, worked as the Lions’ senior offensive assistant in 2022, which was Dan Campbell’s second season as the club’s head coach and Johnson’s first as the offensive coordinator. Birkett noted in a human interest piece on Morton earlier this year that Campbell wanted to replace Johnson with someone who would retain much of the outgoing play-caller’s terminology and playbook, and that is what he will get in Morton.
After the 2022 season, Morton left Detroit to join Sean Payton’s first staff with the Broncos. The success that rookie passer Bo Nix enjoyed in Denver in 2024 helped Morton rebuild his OC stock, and the upcoming season will mark his second attempt at the position (he was the Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2017, when the team was quarterbacked primarily by Josh McCown). In addition to his familiarity with Johnson’s scheme, Morton will inherit a roster that returns its core group of high-end skill-position players and O-linemen. Birkett believes Morton will call for more downfield throws than his predecessor, but the offense should otherwise look quite similar.
Sheppard, 37, enjoyed an eight-year playing career, and he has quickly risen up the coaching ladder since becoming a part of Campbell’s first Lions staff in 2021 as the team’s outside linebackers coach. He has earned praise for helping revive the careers of veterans like Alex Anzalone and helping guide young draft picks like Jack Campbell and Malcolm Rodriguez, and his reputation as a rising star in the coaching world extended beyond Michigan.
While Birkett says Sheppard (a former linebacker) sees defense through a different “prism” than Glenn (a former defensive back), Sheppard will, like Morton, inherit a strong collection of returning players, including the likes of Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Brian Branch, and Kerby Joseph. The Lions finished in the bottom half of the league in terms of total defense in 2024, but they allowed the seventh-fewest points per game.
Lions, LB Zach Cunningham Agree To Deal
One day before the start of their OTAs, the Lions have brought in depth at the linebacker spot. Zach Cunningham has agreed to a deal with Detroit, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
A longtime starter with the Texans, Cunningham spent four-plus years in Houston to begin his career. The former second-rounder led the NFL with 164 tackles in 2020, but midway through the following season he found himself on waivers. The Titans’ decision to claim him left Cunningham in the AFC South through the end of the 2022 campaign; his tenure in Tennessee consisted of only 10 total games due to multiple injuries, however.
Cunningham spent 2023 with the Eagles, starting 10 of his 13 appearances. His 85 tackles and four pass deflections were not enough to land him an extended stay in Philadelphia, and this past September the Vanderbilt product took a deal with the Broncos. That in-season signing came in the wake of Alex Singleton‘s ACL tear, an injury which led to Denver making a number of linebacker moves. After initially joining the team’s practice squad, Cunningham wound up making seven regular season appearances, and he suited up for the Broncos’ wild-card loss as well.
The 30-year-old barely saw the field on defense, however, and his sparse usage (41 snaps) applied to special teams action as well. That helps explain why Cunningham remained on the open market this deep into the offseason and it will lower expectations upon arrival in the Motor City. OTAs this spring and then training camp during the summer will allow him to compete for a roster spot in 2025.
The Lions have Jack Campbell set to remain a full-time starter this season, and the former first-rounder will be joined by Alex Anzalone on the first-team defense. The latter is entering the final year of his contract, though, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes Anzalone is currently away from the team. That absence will be filled in part by Cunningham’s arrival as the Lions look to sort out their linebacker depth over the coming months.
Lions Unlikely To Pursue Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson
As the Bengals-Trey Hendrickson contract impasse drags on, the possibility of a trade looms over the situation. The Lions, despite recent interest in elite EDGE players like Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby, do not appear to be a Hendrickson suitor.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says a pursuit of the 2024 sack leader would run counter to the Lions’ current operation. After all, Detroit is in the midst of negotiations with its own standout pass rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, and those discussions may well culminate in an extension that catapults Hutchinson to the top of the EDGE market (currently paced by Garrett’s $40MM average annual value).
It would therefore be quite difficult for the Lions to surrender notable draft capital to complete a Hendrickson trade – even if Cincinnati relaxes its demand of a first-round pick plus more – and then authorize a contract near the top of the market for a second defensive end. Hendrickson’s age (30) will likely prevent him from reaching the $40MM/year club, but as Birkett suggests, a $35MM AAV is not out of the question.
Plus, the Lions have other contractual matters to resolve. While Hutchinson is presumably at the top of GM Brad Holmes’ agenda at the moment, Birkett says the club is looking ahead to a second deal for running back Jahmyr Gibbs – who will be eligible for a new contract at the end of the 2025 season – and other internal cornerstones. While Birkett does not expressly say so, it could be that Gibbs’ 2023 draftmates like Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch are already on Holmes’ extension radar (Holmes finalized a record-setting extension for safety Kerby Joseph just a few weeks ago).
Of course, the prospect of pairing Hutchinson with Hendrickson is a tempting one. Hendrickson has earned Pro Bowl acclaim in each of his four seasons with the Bengals, and he has recorded 17.5 sacks in both of the past two seasons (his 2024 showing led to his first First Team All-Pro bid and placed him second in Defensive Player of the Year balloting). Hutchinson, who will turn 25 in August, averaged 10 sacks per season over his first two NFL campaigns and hit 7.5 sacks in just five contests in 2024 before suffering a season-ending leg injury.
It was that injury that led to Detroit’s in-season trade interest in Garrett and Crosby. After the team was rebuffed in those pursuits, it pivoted to Za’Darius Smith, and with Hutchinson ready to go for 2025, Birkett says the team will seek a complementary piece rather than a marquee addition.
Smith, who was released in a cost-cutting move in March, still profiles as a logical candidate to return. Holmes said last month he had not spoken with Smith’s camp since the release, but those comments were made before the 2025 draft. Now that the draft is in the books and clubs have a better idea of their roster needs, the two sides could circle back to each other. DeMarcus Walker, who visited Detroit in April, also remains unsigned, as does Von Miller.
The Lions re-signed DE Marcus Davenport this offseason after his first year in the Motor City was cut short by an elbow injury. As of the time of this writing, Davenport is penciled in as Hutchinson’s bookend on Detroit’s defensive front.
NFC North Notes: Reed, Bears, Lions, Vikes
Since trading Davante Adams to the Raiders in 2022, the Packers have relied on the draft to add wide receivers rather than pursuing veteran talent.
They did so once again this year, drafting Matthew Golden with the 22nd overall pick and double-dipping with Savion Williams in the third round (No. 87 overall). Those picks raised questions about the future of their current receiver corps. Both Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are entering the last year of their rookie contracts, and Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks are schedule to hit free agency after the 2026 season.
That uncertainty caused Reed’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to meet with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst in an effort to “clarify the wide receiver’s status in Green Bay,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Reed was the team’s leading receiver in his first two NFL seasons, and the Packers intend to keep him in that role moving forward.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur expressed surprise when asked about Reed by NBC Sports’ Chris Simms and praised the 2023 second-rounder’s leadership and production in Green Bay.
“He’s coaching up Matthew Golden, so he’s a guy I don’t worry about,” said LaFleur.
Here is the latest from the NFC North:
- Isaiah Simmons‘ versatility was one of the main reasons that he was a top-10 pick in 2020, but he has struggled to find a positional fit in the NFL. He signed with the Packers this offseason and will play linebacker in Green Bay, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. Simmons spent his first five years in the NFL in a hybrid box/slot role; streamlining his responsibilities at LB could help him unlock his athleticism and finally live up to his draft billing.
- Lions second-round pick Tate Ratledge primarily played guard at Georgia and will compete for starting jobs with veteran Graham Glasgow and 2024 sixth-rounder Christian Mahogany as a rookie, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley added that Ratledge would also see time at center during OTAs to train for a backup role to Frank Ragnow.
- Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said that rookie Shemar Turner will focus on playing along the interior of the defensive line before the team tests his edge versatility (via Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network). Turner lined up off the edge at Texas Tech in 2022 and 2023 before bulking up for interior work in 2024. Chicago has depth at both spots this year, but they’re thinner at DT in the long-term, which is where Turner will spend most of his time. Still, his athleticism and experience should give him a chance to contribute as an edge defender at some point in his NFL career.
- A jury trial for Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison has been scheduled for June 16 in the Superior Court of California, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Addison received a citation for a DUI in July 2024 and pleaded not guilty in December.
Lions, Aidan Hutchinson Likely To Accelerate Extension Talks
Aidan Hutchinson confirmed yesterday that he has received full medical clearance. That positive but expected development will allow his attention to turn to the matter of a Lions extension. 
The expectation remained amongst team and player that a full recovery would take place well in advance of the 2025 campaign. With that now being official, a long-term pact can be sought by both parties. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes that while some extension talks have already taken place, they can be expected to heat up given Hutchinson’s full recovery (video link).
Given the Lions’ decision to pick up the former No. 2 pick’s fifth-year option, plenty of time remains for a deal to be worked out on that front. However, the 2025 offseason has already seen the top of the edge rush market jump twice (with Maxx Crosby, then Myles Garrett, signing extensions). $40MM annually now represents the top price point at the position, and other veterans such as T.J. Watt (Steelers) and Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) are in line to secure new pacts soon.
Whereas Garrett, Watt and Hendrickson are each entering their age-30 seasons, Hutchinson will only be 25 by Week 1. That age gap makes Micah Parsons a better comparable situation in this case. The Cowboys’ top extension priority will turn 26 next week, and he is in position to remain one of the league’s top sack artists over the course of his next contract. If the Lions are confident the same will hold true of Hutchinson in 2025 and beyond, a monster accord should be in store.
When speaking about the direction of the pass rush market earlier this offseason, general manager Brad Holmes noted Detroit was anticipating such a jump while budgeting for a Hutchinson extension. A deal at or around the top of the pecking order will take into account the Michigan alum’s production to date – 28.5 sacks, 119 QB pressures in 39 games – while also anticipating further development into an All-Pro performer. That should not prove to be much of a logical leap, considering the fact Hutchinson was in the early Defensive Player of the Year conversation prior to suffering a broken leg five games into the 2024 campaign.
Finding a consistent complementary edge rusher during Hutchinson’s career has proven to be a challenge for the Lions. Even if Marcus Davenport manages to put together a healthy season in 2025, though, much of the team’s success on defense will depend on Hutchinson’s level of play. It will be interesting to see if he will have a new deal in hand by the time the campaign begins.
Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson Receives Full Medical Clearance
Aidan Hutchinson‘s rehab process in complete. When speaking to the media on Thursday, the Lions’ top edge rusher said he has received full medical clearance. 
“I didn’t really have any setbacks,” Hutchinson said when reflecting on his recovery (via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard). “It was just a gradual climb. I always knew I was gonna be back.”
This update comes as little surprise, as last month the 24-year-old said he had completed his rehab. Now that his final evaluations have checked out, Hutchinson will be able to take part in OTAs in advance of mandatory minicamp next month and training camp this summer. The news of a full recovery is of course also relevant as it pertains to a potential long-term extension.
2025 marks the first offseason in which Hutchinson is eligible for a second contract. The former No. 2 pick is on the books for the next two years based on the Lions’ easy decision to pick up his fifth-year option, something which has him on track to collect $18.72M in 2026. A multi-year deal will cost much more than that on an annual basis given where the pass rush market stands and Hutchinson’s early success. Surpassing Myles Garrett in yearly compensation ($40MM) may be necessary, and Lions general manager Brad Holmes is aware a monster pact is in store in this situation.
After finishing as the runner-up in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, Hutchinson posted 11.5 sacks and a league-leading 62 QB pressures in 2023. Another high-end season was taking shape in 2024, with the Michigan product notching 7.5 sacks through five games. A broken leg ended his season, though, and with the Lions being upset in the divisional round of the playoffs the possibility of a Super Bowl return became a moot point.
Hutchinson will be reprise his role as a foundational member of the Lions’ defense in general and pass rush group in particular in 2025. Detroit will aim for better health on that side of the ball this season, and barring any new developments on that front Hutchinson will be at full strength well in advance of the campaign.
The Most Lucrative ILB Contract In Each Franchise’s History
The 49ers have again made Fred Warner the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker. The franchise did this in 2021 as well. A team that has employed All-Pro NaVorro Bowman and Hall of Famer Patrick Willis over the past 15 years, the 49ers have spent on the high end to fortify this position. Other clubs, however, have been far more hesitant to unload significant cash to staff this job.
The $20MM-per-year linebacker club consists of only two players (Warner, Roquan Smith), but only four surpass $15MM per year presently. Last year saw the Jaguars and Jets (Foye Oluokun, C.J. Mosley) trim their priciest ILBs’ salaries in exchange for guarantees, and the Colts did not make it too far with Shaquille Leonard‘s big-ticket extension. Although some contracts handed out this offseason created optimism about this stubborn market, franchises’ pasts here do not depict a trend of paying second-level defenders.
Excluding rookie contracts and arranged by guaranteed money, here is (via OvertheCap) the richest contract each franchise has given to an off-ball ‘backer:
Arizona Cardinals
- Jordan Hicks; March 12, 2019: Four years, $34MM ($20MM guaranteed)
Atlanta Falcons
- Deion Jones; July 17, 2019: Four years, $54MM ($34MM guaranteed)
Baltimore Ravens
- Roquan Smith; January 10, 2023: Five years, $100MM ($60MM guaranteed)
Buffalo Bills
- Matt Milano; March 12, 2023: Two years, $28.33MM ($27.15MM guaranteed)
Milano’s first extension (in 2021) brought more in overall value and fully guaranteed money, but the 2023 pact provided more in total guarantees
Carolina Panthers
- Luke Kuechly; September 10, 2015: Five years, $61.8MM ($33.36MM guaranteed)
Shaq Thompson‘s 2019 extension brought a higher AAV ($13.54MM), but Kuechly’s included more in guarantees
Chicago Bears
- Tremaine Edmunds; March 13, 2023: Four years, $72MM ($50MM guaranteed)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Logan Wilson; August 4, 2023: Four years, $36MM ($10MM guaranteed)
Cleveland Browns
- Jamie Collins; January 23, 2017: Four years, $50MM ($26.4MM guaranteed)
Dallas Cowboys
- Jaylon Smith; August 20, 2019: Five years, $63.75MM ($35.41MM guaranteed)
Denver Broncos
- Brandon Marshall; June 14, 2016: Four years, $32MM ($20.1MM guaranteed)
Dre Greenlaw‘s 2025 contract (three years, $31.5MM) brought a higher AAV but a lower guarantee
Detroit Lions
- DeAndre Levy; August 5, 2015: Three years, $33.74MM ($24MM guaranteed)
Green Bay Packers
- De’Vondre Campbell; March 14, 2022: Five years, $50MM ($15MM guaranteed)
Houston Texans
- Benardrick McKinney; June 14, 2018: Five years, $50MM ($22.16MM guaranteed)
Azeez Al-Shaair checks in atop franchise history in AAV ($11.33MM) but fell short of McKinney’s in guarantees
Indianapolis Colts
- Shaquille Leonard; August 8, 2021: Five years, $98.5MM ($52.5MM guaranteed)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Foye Oluokun; March 14, 2022: Three years, $45MM ($28MM guaranteed)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Nick Bolton; March 9, 2025: Three years, $45MM ($30MM guaranteed)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Cory Littleton; March 17, 2020: Three years, $35.25MM ($22MM guaranteed)
Rolando McClain‘s 2010 rookie contract, agreed to in the final year before the rookie-scale system debuted, checked in higher in terms of guarantees ($22.83MM)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Donald Butler; February 28, 2014: Seven years, $51.8MM ($11.15MM guaranteed)
Kenneth Murray‘s rookie contract (a fully guaranteed $12.97MM) narrowly eclipses this deal
Los Angeles Rams
- James Laurinaitis; September 8, 2012: Five years, $41.5MM ($23.62MM guaranteed)
Mark Barron‘s 2016 contract brought a higher AAV ($9MM) but a lower guarantee
Miami Dolphins
- Jerome Baker; June 13, 2021: Three years, $37.5MM ($28.41MM guaranteed)
Minnesota Vikings
- Anthony Barr; March 12, 2019: Five years, $67.5MM ($33MM guaranteed)
New England Patriots
- Jerod Mayo; December 17, 2011: Five years, $48.5MM ($27MM guaranteed)
Robert Spillane‘s $11MM AAV leads the way at this position in New England, but the recently dismissed HC’s contract brought more guaranteed money
New Orleans Saints
- Demario Davis; September 13, 2020: Three years, $27MM ($18.35MM guaranteed)
New York Giants
- Bobby Okereke; March 13, 2023: Four years, $40MM ($21.8MM guaranteed)
Blake Martinez‘s free agency deal included a higher AAV ($10.25MM) but a lower guaranteee
New York Jets
- C.J. Mosley; March 12, 2019: Five years, $85MM ($51MM guaranteed)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Zack Baun; March 5, 2025: Three years, $51MM ($34MM guaranteed)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Patrick Queen; March 12, 2024: Three years, $41MM ($20.51MM guaranteed)
San Francisco 49ers
- Fred Warner; May 19, 2025: Three years, $63MM ($56MM guaranteed)
Warner secured more guaranteed money on this extension than he did on his five-year 2021 deal ($40.5MM guaranteed)
Seattle Seahawks
- Bobby Wagner; July 26, 2019: Three years, $54MM ($40.25MM guaranteed)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Lavonte David; August 9, 2015: Five years, $50.25MM ($25.56MM guaranteed)
Tennessee Titans
- Cody Barton; March 10, 2025: Three years, $21MM ($13.33MM guaranteed)
Washington Commanders
- London Fletcher; March 3, 2007: Five years, $25MM ($10.5MM guaranteed)
Jamin Davis‘ fully guaranteed rookie contract brought a higher guarantee ($13.79MM)
Lions Sign First-Round DT Tyleik Williams
The Lions have already been busy signing members of their seven-man draft class. Today they inked their largest contract of the group, agreeing to terms with first-round defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. 
Williams spent four years at Ohio State, appearing in 51 total contests. Despite not being a starter as a freshman, Williams flashed incredible potential in the defensive line rotation, notching five sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. His contributions dropped in his sophomore season, but he became a full-time starter in his third year. As a starter for the Buckeyes, Williams logged 5.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, and six passes defensed in his junior and senior seasons.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 330 pounds, there’s hope that Williams can command multiple blockers when he’s playing at his best. He uses his pre-snap intelligence and imposing frame to stack blockers on the line and disrupt running lanes, making him an outstanding asset for a team that already fielded a top-five rush defense in 2024.
Because of injuries along the defensive line, the Lions were frequently linked to defensive line prospects, though it was more often defensive end prospects, since the team returns both D.J. Reader and Alim McNeill. The team also re-signed former second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike to a one-year deal. Because of this there may not be an immediate role for Williams in Detroit, but the rookie will surely be counted on moving forward.
Williams is the sixth drafted rookie to sign their initial four-year contract in Detroit, leaving only Georgia offensive guard Tate Ratledge, who was selected in the second round. Here’s a breakdown of the team’s 2025 draft class:
- Round 1, No. 28: Tyleik Williams (DT, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 57 (from Rams through Panthers and Broncos): Tate Ratledge (G, Georgia)
- Round 3, No. 70 (from Jaguars): Isaac TeSlaa (WR, Arkansas) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 171 (from Cowboys through Patriots)*: Miles Frazier (G, LSU) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 196 (from Buccaneers): Ahmed Hassanein (OLB, Boise State) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 230 (from Cardinals through Panthers and Broncos): Dan Jackson (S, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 244: Dominic Lovett (WR, Georgia) (signed)