Here's what Lions GM Brad Holmes and No. 28 pick Tyleik Williams had to say after first round of the 2025 draft

Allen Park — After selecting Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams with the No. 28 pick in the first round of the 2025 draft, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes and Williams (virtually) met with local media. Here are the highlights from those sessions.

● Built like a nose tackle at 330 pounds, Williams is significantly more athletic than most players at that size. Holmes was quick to point out the similarities between Williams and Alim McNeill, who the GM drafted in the third round of the 2021 draft.

“I do think that (Williams has) got a lot of versatility in his game,” Holmes said. “I think one of the things, not only does he have the physical skillset — he’s got the power — he’s got the bend and the agility. He’s a very nimble athlete, but the thing about it is that he’s incredibly instinctive, too. …I think his versatility is really going to help. He has a lot of similar traits to Alim McNeill, almost a similar body type.

“...I think I might have said that when we drafted Alim, where he looks like your traditional nose tackle, but he’s not one of those one-dimensional nose tackles,” Holmes said. “He has stuff inside of his body that’s very nimble and agile, and he’s able to do a lot of different things. I think Tyleik is the same way.”

Williams said he’s heard the comparisons to McNeill before and likes them.

“I’ve been hearing that name a lot,” Williams said. “They’ve been saying I’m a great comparison to him. Yeah, actually, after I met with the Lions, they kind of told me about Alim, so I went and watched film myself. He’s a great player, I have no complaints about being compared to him. I think he’s a great player and I think me and him together will gel well and make a lot of plays.”

● Holmes said one of the things that set Williams apart was his instincts and intelligence. The latter trait stood out when the team met with the prospect at the scouting combine.

“He really knocked it out the park with his intelligence and how much he knew about the game,” Holmes said. “It’s kind of like building a house with the character portion of it, and then we were able to bring him in on a top-30 (visit) and he knocked it out again. He just kept checking those boxes.”

Williams explained that his football IQ is developed through film study.

“I watch a lot of film,” he said. “I would say I’m like a film junkie, I’m always in the film room, trying to gain an advantage of anything I can. I pick up on a lot of things that offensive lines tend to do, and I feel like I can relay that information to the defense and put us in a great spot. It’s better to know what’s coming than just going out there and guessing. So, I pride myself on being that (guy) who can give us those tips to be better as a front.”

● Holmes acknowledged the team received a trade offer for the 28th pick that would have allowed the Lions to still select in the first round. In the end, they feared missing out on a prospect they wanted.

“Got a few calls when it got close to our pick,” Holmes said. “Didn’t feel great, just kind of how (the board) was thinning out for us specifically. That’s the fascination of the NFL, right? It’s 31 other different boards, and you have no idea. You can do all the research in advance and all that stuff, but at the end of the day, you truly don’t know. That’s what makes it fun. You’ve just kind of got to try to make the most responsible decision that you can.

“We thought about it,” Holmes said. “There was one enticing one, but we just felt that with the depth of that group right there, and how the board was falling out, felt it was the most responsible thing to stay put.”

Holmes said he already has some ideas percolating regarding how the team might address Day 2 of the draft. I asked Holmes if he could stay patient or if he anticipated waking up coveting a specific prospect he had to move up to get.

“You know how I am,” he said. “That’s why I kind of want to just hesitate a little bit on that answer right now, but it just depends on how I’m feeling tomorrow. The good thing about it is there are still some good players that are worth (it), so if I wake up and have that feeling and (coach) Dan (Campbell) has similar feelings as well, there’s a chance. We’ll just kind of see.”

● Holmes was asked if he’s fielded any trade calls about wide receiver Jameson Williams, with that rumor swirling ahead of the draft.

“No,” Holmes said. “That’s something that we have never entertained. I don’t know where that report came from, but that’s not a conversation that me and Dan have ever had.”

● Tyleik Williams stumbled while running his 40-yard dash during his pro day and didn’t do any drills the rest of the day. I playfully asked him what went through his mind after that moment.

“At first I was kind of worried, but talking to everybody at the pro day, they said I would’ve ran a 4.8, 4.9,” Williams said. “At my weight, 329 — I was 329 then, that’s unheard of. So, I wasn’t really too mad about it. I knew I would get healthy eventually and now we’re here. I’m not worried about it, it’s in the past, but it was a moment for sure.”

There are unofficial times for Williams’ 10- and 20-yard splits, both of which are elite for his position.

“I was always a running back growing up,” Williams said. “I was always the biggest, fastest kid on the field, and I think over time, through high school, I grew into a D-tackle body. But the feet never left me. The feet always stayed with me. I’ve always had quick feet. I’ve always been able to burst and run.

“I’m blessed, I’ll say that. Most people get bigger and get slower. I think I kind of got faster, so I’m just blessed.”

● Regarding his limited pass-rush production at Ohio State, Williams said it had a lot to do with the scheme, and he’s eager to tap more into his potential with that area of his game.

“The scheme we played at Ohio State was kind of a bull-rush, kind of cage scheme,” Williams said. “On film, you didn’t really see a lot of the pass rush, but I think I’m a great pass rusher. I’ve definitely got to show it and build on it, of course, but I’m not too worried about what people have got to say right now. I know I’m going to go in and work and get better, so it’s not really a problem right now. I know I’m going to get better at it. I know I’m going to grow, I know I’ll become that three-down player.”