MW #94

Mekhi Wingo

Defensive Tackle · LSU

An undersized but powerful defensive tackle who Detroit traded up to draft after a decorated run through Missouri and LSU.

Mekhi Wingo is a defensive tackle who overcame a smaller frame with power and quickness to earn All-American honors in college before Detroit traded up to grab him in the sixth round. He's spent his early NFL career developing depth along the Lions' defensive line.

★ Third-team All-American, Associated Press (2022) at LSU

★ Second-team All-SEC (2022) at LSU

★ SEC All-Freshman Team (2021) at Missouri

Path to the league

Wingo began his college career at Missouri in 2021, earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors after recording 27 tackles, a sack and a pick-six. He transferred to LSU for 2022 and 2023, starting 12 of 13 games in 2022 with 47 tackles and three sacks before a lower-body injury limited him to eight games as a junior. The Lions traded up with the Houston Texans to select him in the sixth round, 189th overall, in 2024.

Career highlights

Wingo earned third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press and second-team All-SEC recognition in 2022 at LSU. Despite battling injury in his final college season, he served as a team captain and rehabbed to return for LSU's bowl game rather than sit out to protect his draft stock.

2025 season recap

Wingo has remained a rotational piece on Detroit's defensive interior, continuing to build on a career tackle total that stood at 12 through the 2025 season as he works to carve out a larger role in the Lions' defensive line rotation.