DETROIT — General manager Brad Holmes isn’t sitting on his hands after a disappointing 9-8 finish. The Detroit Lions locked in former Carolina Panthers defensive end DJ Wonnum on a one-year contract worth up to $6 million late Tuesday night. The move signals a clear intent to patch the holes in a pass rush that struggled to find consistency beyond All-Pro Aidan Hutchinson last season.
Building Depth in the Motor City
Detroit’s 2025 campaign fell apart as the training room filled up. While the team stayed in the hunt until the final weeks, the lack of rotational juice on the edge forced Hutchinson to shoulder an unsustainable load. Wonnum, a 28-year-old veteran, arrives as a plug-and-play solution. During his final year in Carolina, he started 15 games and racked up 42 tackles and three sacks. While those aren’t eye-popping numbers, his 86 games of NFL experience provide a floor that Detroit’s younger roster desperately lacked last fall.
The competition for the starting spot opposite Hutchinson is officially open. Tyler Lacy saw heavy snaps last year, but with the departure of Al-Quadin Muhammad in free agency, the right side of the line was a massive question mark. Ahmed Hassanein remains an intriguing developmental piece, but he has yet to take a regular-season snap. Wonnum offers a veteran presence that can set the edge and allow the Lions to be more creative with their blitz packages under defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
“We need guys who are grinders, period. DJ has been in the dirt. He knows how this league works, and he’s going to make that room better from day one. We aren’t just looking for stars; we’re looking for guys who help us win the fourth quarter.”
— Dan Campbell, Lions Head Coach
Draft Implications and the Road to 2026
Signing Wonnum doesn’t necessarily take the Lions out of the market for a high-end pass rusher in next month’s draft. Holding the 17th overall pick, Detroit is in a prime position to snag a blue-chip defensive end if the board falls their way. This signing acts as an insurance policy. It allows Holmes to stick to his “best player available” philosophy rather than reaching for a prospect out of desperation.
The NFC North is getting tougher. Chicago is coming off a division title and Green Bay is retooling their staff. For the Lions to reclaim the throne, they must prove 2025 was an injury-induced fluke. Bolstering the secondary with Roger McCreary and now adding Wonnum to the trenches shows a front office that understands the margin for error has disappeared. The Lions are banking on health and depth to fuel another deep run into January.
