Nine days into the 2026 free agency period, the Detroit Lions finally signed an edge rusher, as they came to an agreement with D.J. Wonnum on a one-year contract with a reported value of up to $6 million. Let’s take a closer look at the Lions’ newest defensive end and why he’s more likely to be a replacement for Marcus Davenport than Al-Quadin Muhammad.
Origin story
Wonnum found the field at South Carolina as a true freshman, playing in all 13 games. As a sophomore, he was named a starter and team captain, and would hold both roles for the next three seasons. Wonnum never put up gaudy statistics at South Carolina, but his size, length, and athletic profile helped him get drafted in the fourth round (pick No. 117 overall) by the Minnesota Vikings.
Wonnum worked his way into the Vikings’ edge rotation as a rookie and found a starting role in his second year as a down defensive end. The Vikings switched to a 3-4 scheme in his third season, and Wonnum reverted back to a reserve role, only to regain a starting role when the Vikings hired Brian Flores as their new defensive coordinator. In total, Wonnum would go on to start 31 games for the Vikings over four seasons.
In 2024, Wonnum departed for Carolina after the Panthers gave him a two-year contract, despite him recovering from a quadriceps tear sustained on Christmas Eve 2023, when the Lions beat the Vikings to win the NFC North title. Unfortunately, Wonnum’s road to recovery was a long one, marked by a litany of “complications.” Upon his return to the field in 2024, Wonnum would go on to start the Panthers’ final eight games that season, and this past season, he started 15 of 16 games.
What the experts are saying
Wonnum wasn’t a high-profile free agent, so there wasn’t much written about his profile as a free agent. However, Darin Gantt of the Panthers’ website wrote a fascinating story chronicling Wonnum’s road to recovery in 2024, the medical obstacles he overcame, and how that has changed his perspective on life.
“Wonnum walked reporters through an offseason that’s generally been described as involving “complications,” which more specifically involved three surgeries following his Christmas Eve injury, which cut short his final season with the Vikings. Then came his body rejecting the internal stitches used to repair his quadriceps tear, a MRSA infection, and weeks of taking blood thinners after he developed blood clots as a result of the intravenous antibiotics he was taking to fight the infection.
“Football injuries are one thing. His offseason went to a different level and involved medical issues that push closer to the life-changing or life-threatening variety.”
Expected role in 2026
Wonnum certainly fits the profile of what the Lions are looking for in a base end to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson, and should be viewed as a healthier version of what the Lions were hoping to get from Marcus Davenport.
At 6-foot-5, 258 pounds, and possessing the desired length (34 1/8-inch arm length), and athletic profile (RAS: 8.07) for the position, Wonnum physically looks the part. He has impressive experience for a 28-year-old, with 54 starts across 86 games and an average of 47 snaps per game, illustrating his ability to stay on the field in any situation. Furthermore, he has experience operating from a three-point stance, as a stand-up pass rusher, and can kick inside in obvious pass-rushing situations.
He sets a firm edge against the run, showing an understanding of how to maximize his length in leverage situations. Wonnum isn’t a flashy pass rusher; he does have some variety to his attack, but doesn’t excel at any one move. Over his six-year career, Wonnum is credited with 126 “run stops” (plays that result in an offensive failure), as well as registering 30 sacks and averaging 193 pressures (roughly 32.1 per season and two-and-a-quarter pressures per game).
Wonnum gives the Lions some flexibility as they continue to add talent to the position. He is capable of starting as a base end in a rotation, but is also capable of coming off the bench if needed. He’s never had more than eight sacks in any one season—though he has accomplished this twice—and he has a base of consistency but lacks pizazz.
Free agency impact
There are still talented veteran pass rushers on the free agent market—as we discussed in Tuesday’s question of the day—and the addition of Wonnum shouldn’t rule the Lions out from considering adding any of them to their roster. At this time, the Lions only have three true pass rushers on their roster: Wonnum, Hutchinson, and Ahmed Hassanein, who spent the majority of his rookie season rehabbing from injury and on the practice squad. The Lions will also use Levi Onwuzurike and Tyler Lacy in the 4i role in big sets, but that usage is unlikely to deter them from adding more pure pass rushers.
The obstacles that could get in the way of the Lions in adding more edge players in free agency are redundancy and price. Cam Jordan and A.J. Epenesa are a bit redundant to Wonnum, while Jordan, Jadeveon Clowney, and Joey Bosa are likely to command a difficult price tag. Adding a pass-rushing specialist seems the more likely path in free agency, and the Lions may consider veterans like Von Miller or Kyle Van Noy.
NFL Draft impact
Regardless of what happens in free agency, the Lions will likely have a pass rusher near the top of their 2026 NFL Draft wishlists. With a deep edge rusher class, the addition of Wonnum gives the Lions the flexibility to not force a decision on when to select a pass rusher.
If the right player is on the board when the Lions pick at No. 17 or No. 50, they can pair him with Wonnum and should feel comfortable in the rotational duo across from Hutchinson. However, if the right value isn’t there on Days 1 or 2 of the draft, the Lions will still have options on Day 3, but would likely be picking from a pool of players who are more specialists than every-down rotational players.
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