How Levi Onwuzurike went from back injury to Detroit Lions training camp standout

Levi Onwuzurike feels like a new player entering a crucial fourth year on the Detroit Lions defensive line.

He finally finished a season in the lineup and went through a typical offseason regimen while healthy.

The typical schedule for an NFL player between seasons had been impossible for Onwuzurike, 26, until this past offseason due to the chronic back issues that have sidelined him for most of his Lions career. Onwuzurike, who has played in 26 games through three seasons, including 10 last season, could focus on growing as a player rather than rehabilitating his back.

The long stretches away from the game reinforced Onwuzurike's desire to play football and gave him the determination to get fully healthy.

"I love football," Onwuzurike said Sunday after practice in Allen Park. "Before, I liked football, but when you're healthy, you understand why guys love this. One, when you are healthy and two, when you go to the playoffs, like you truly understand the reason you started playing football. So I mean I am truly blessed to be healthy right now."

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Onwuzurike is one of the few members of the Lions' 2021 draft class, the first under general manager Brad Holmes, yet to make much of an impact on the team, largely because of the injuries that have limited him. He played in 16 games as a rookie in 2021, recording 35 tackles with one sack, before missing all of 2022 after needing spinal fusion surgery on his back.

He spent the offseason ahead of 2023 rehabbing the injury and made 10 regular-season appearances, making five total tackles, and was a healthy scratch at times. He then saw limited snaps during the three playoff games. He credited the playing time in 2023 to properly setting him up to prepare for the upcoming season as well as he could.

"That was huge, 100%, just to fully trust my body playing the whole season," Onwuzurike said. "I was available every game so just to be able to feel that it's like ... once the season was over, now I can have my first offseason, you know what I'm saying. I can truly train and whatnot and get to where I need to be. So the confidence just kept growing."

In training camp, Onwuzurike has consistently stood out along the defensive line playing with the starting unit in different spots. Other linemen and the coaching staff have praised him for being able to consistently play with power, while also being able to fit as a three-technique or plug-stuffing defensive tackle, in addition to flipping out wide and playing as a big defensive end on the formation's strong side (with a tight end).

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Head coach Dan Campbell said Onwuzurike has been one of the early standouts on the defensive line because of his versatility and showing that he was building on his offseason work in Spring OTAs and now training camp.

"I would tell you this started in the spring, we kind of mentioned (Levi)," Campbell said about Onwuzurike in the first week of camp. "He’s earned it, I mean he’s — it’s clear that he’s one of the best. I mean, it’s just clear, and he plays with violence, he’s stout, he’s fundamentally better than he’s ever been, and he’s shown that he has some versatility. Between the big end in base and three-technique, he can play some big end in sub, in nickel, and he’s just earned it.

"... I feel like there’s always been a sense of urgency, it’s just he’s lacked the confidence because the body hadn’t felt right. That’s hard. When you’re doing everything you can but your body’s behind you, you’re trying to drag it along with you, that’s a hard place to be in. So, I would say the mindset is the same, it’s just, now, ‘OK, hey, these work. This works. OK.’ And his confidence is just — it’s going sky high."

A part of the offseason work was adding weight to his 6-foot-3 frame. Onwuzurike said his weight is up to 305 pounds after spending most of last season hovering between 280 and 285.

Onwuzurike has regularly lined up alongside fellow 2021 draftee Alim McNeill as the defensive tackles in the Lions' base defensive set, with Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport lined up on the edge. He has also frequently seen snaps as a big defensive end while Kyle Peko and Brodric Martin handle defensive tackle, and Hutchinson lined up as the other edge rusher with a weakside linebacker, usually Derrick Barnes, lined up with him.

Onwuzurike is in the mix to play as the three-technique tackle next to the nose tackle or big end along with McNeill, Josh Paschal and sixth-round rookie Mekhi Wingo. He is also working in at nose tackle too with Peko and Martin, while free agent addition D.J. Reader continues to work back from his torn quad injury suffered with Cincinnati last December.

"Being versatile teaches you how to do different stuff in different positions, even being on the edge," Onwuzurike said. "I started to apply some of my edge stuff to my three-tech rushes. It just makes you a better, versatile player."

Players on both sides of the ball have noted the impact he has on the lineup, whether it was Frank Ragnow describing how hard he is to block on the interior or McNeill saying his pass rushing opens up more lanes for the other players trying to rush the passer.

McNeill, drafted a round after Onwuzurike, said the impact Onwuzurike is providing is what he always expected from him when healthy.

"He's completely healthy, feels really good," McNeill said last week. "And just being Levi. That's who Levi always was, he just wanted to make sure he got back to where he was. What I'm seeing from Levi is what we know what Levi has. He's really doing his thing."

Onwuzurike is looking to make the most of the season after having the chance to fully prepare and focus on building strength rather than healing an injury. The goal, he said, is to put it all together throughout a full season while contributing to the team goal of reaching the Super Bowl.

"The best way I could describe it is stability," Onwuzurike said about how he's feeling on the field. "I feel strong on the field. I feel fast on the field. Everything my body wants me to do, I can do."

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