Levi Onwuzurike is a Washington-bred defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions who missed the 2025 season with a torn ACL.
Levi Onwuzurike came out of Washington as a disruptive interior rusher and was a second-round pick of the Detroit Lions. He developed into a productive part of Detroit's defensive front, generating consistent interior pressure. A torn ACL kept him out for the entire 2025 season.
Path to the league
Onwuzurike played college football for the Washington Huskies and was selected by the Lions in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Though often listed at defensive end, he has played extensively along the interior. In 2024 he posted 28 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits, with 47 total pressures that ranked among the league's best for interior linemen.
2025 season
Onwuzurike re-signed with the Lions on a one-year, $5.5 million contract in March 2025. He was placed on the reserve/PUP list in July and head coach Dan Campbell later announced he would miss the entire 2025 season after surgery to repair a torn ACL. Per reporting, his contract tolled under the CBA, keeping him under Lions control for 2026.
Sources
- Yahoo Sports: Lions' starting DT Levi Onwuzurike will miss 2025 season with torn ACL
- ESPN: Levi Onwuzurike player page
Statistics
2025 season and career▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | lions | 16 | 28 | 16 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | lions | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | lions | 16 | 35 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive End
- Group
- defense
- College
- Washington
- Hometown
- Allen, TX, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
