Pat O’Connor, originally drafted by the Lions back in 2017 and brought back to the practice squad last year, could be the odd man out on the defensive line this summer. Even though he was re-signed in March, Detroit’s moves since then seem to have written his fate in advance.
The big shift? The Lions added free agent Roy Lopez from the Cardinals and used a draft pick on Tyleik Williams, the powerful rookie out of Ohio State. With DJ Reader locked in as the starting nose tackle, that gives Detroit a solid trio at the position—and makes carrying a fourth guy like O’Connor unlikely.
Sure, there’s a chance O’Connor could shift to another role along the line, maybe backing up at end or tackle. But at nearly 300 pounds, he doesn’t exactly fit the mold of a defensive end in this scheme. And the depth behind Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike makes the path even tougher.
Last season, O’Connor played a career-high 31% of the defensive snaps (plus nearly half on special teams), thanks in part to a rash of injuries. But now, with a healthier roster and more talent injected into the trenches, his uphill battle just got steeper.
He’ll need a standout camp performance to hang on—but as it stands, O’Connor might be the first veteran casualty of Detroit’s revamped defensive front.
Training camp hasn’t even started, and one Detroit Lions veteran may already be on borrowed time.
