Ohio State defensive line coach and associate head coach Larry Johnson has coached the defensive line units at Penn State (1996-2013) and Ohio State (2014-present) for almost 30 years and over that stretch he's helped 15 players earn First-Team All-American recognition and has seen 16 players drafted in the first round.
He's been around some really good defensive line talent over the years. So how does Detroit Lions first-round pick Tyleik Williams stand out among that group of outstanding players?
"Two things that jump out right off the bat is his initial quickness off the ball and for a big guy to be able to bend and turn corners like he does is just unprecedented," Johnson said of Williams in a conference call Friday. "I saw him do that very easily."
Williams came to Ohio State as a 360-pound freshman putting on a lot of weight during the COVID-19 pandemic that made Johnson and his fellow Buckeyes coaches have some reservations. Then they saw him run 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash with a 1.6-second 10-yard split and Johnson said the coaches agreed on the spot it was all good.
Williams said he got down to 317 pounds his first season with the help of Ohio State's nutrition team and a lot of hard work. He was an instant contributor for the Buckeyes, playing in 51 games in four seasons.
It was the last two years where Williams became a dominant force in the center of Ohio State's defense. He started 25 games the last two seasons, racking up 100 combined tackles, 18.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
The Lions believe he can be an immediate impact player for them and that will be important if veteran Alim McNeill (ACL) isn't ready for the beginning of the season.
"He just had a lot of traits and qualities that we were looking for and he's going to fit right in here like a glove," Lions general manager Brad Holmes said of Williams at the conclusion of Thursday's first round. "We spent a lot of time with him in the process leading up to this and we were very, very impressed."
Williams was in Allen Park Friday meeting with the coaching staff, getting acclimated with the Meijer Performance Center and having his introductory press conference. He got to sit down with new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and that brief meeting left Williams excited about joining the Lions' defense.
"Coach Shep, just met him and already love him," Williams said. "He's a high energy guy. He tells me how much he loves my game and how I play and how I can help the team. You need a guy like that in your corner. I'm ready to get the playbook and learn under him and how he coaches and runs his defense. I think I can help in a major way."
Williams has a similar body type and skillset to McNeill when McNeill was coming out of NC State in 2021 as part of Holmes' first draft class. McNeill contributed early in Detroit and has blossomed into one of the best defensive tackles in the league. The Lions are hoping Williams can have a similar career trajectory.
"I do think he's got a lot of versatility in his game," Holmes said. "He has the physical skillset. He's got the power and the bend and the agility. He's a very nimble athlete. The thing about it is he's incredibly instinctive as well."
That instinctive aspect of Williams' game jumped out to Johnson too.
"I think the thing that separates Tyleik from anyone else is his football IQ," he said. "He's really brilliant at picking up things and picking up technique, picking up signals from the line of scrimmage. I think that's his advantage. He's really smart and he studies videotape and it really makes him separate himself from most guys I've coached."
Johnson said Williams has elite movement skills and quick feet for a player his size and that's something Lions fans will notice right away about their newest defensive line addition.
