Getty Dan Cambell on the field in a 2022 preseason game.
The Detroit Lions have had to deal with a few injuries this year, and one of the more unfortunate cases revolves around defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike.
So far, Onwuzurike hasn’t been a go during camp and the preseason, and that represents a staggering setback for a young player who the team is depending on for this season to provide some depth up front.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell seems to know that, which is why it stands to reason he could be at least a little bit frustrated about how things are going for the player right now.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, August 25, Campbell was asked where Onwuzurike was at. As he conceded, there wasn’t much of an update given the slower nature of the recovery.
Campbell said Levi Onwuzurike is recovering “at a snail’s pace” from his most recent back/hip injury. Not looking good for Philly Week 1.
“Campbell said Levi Onwuzurike is recovering “at a snail’s pace” from his most recent back/hip injury. Not looking good for Philly Week 1,” Twentyman tweeted.
That isn’t great news for the Lions, who need him to be part of the mix moving forward, ideally as early as this coming season. A few weeks ago, it seems Onwuzurike was in the same place within his recovery, which is frustrating.
Hopefully, he can continue to get better, but as it sounds now, it might take a few more weeks for that to be the case.
Onwuzurike Called ‘Breakout Star’ Candidate
Before the season began, the hope is Onwuzurike would have a healthy start to the year. Those facts got the player on the radar of some this offseason in terms of possible breakout stars.
Such was the case for NFL.com and writer Adam Rank. Recently, Rank took a look at the state of the franchise for the Lions within a new piece, and had Onwuzurike making some major strides.
“The second-year pro showed some flashes as a rookie, but was not healthy for much of the year. Fortunately, it sounds like he’s putting those issues behind him…. Anyhow, I predict there will be a point this season when Onwuzurike ends up being the dude at defensive tackle,” Rank wrote in the piece.
A former second-round pick in 2021, Onwuzurike made only a modest showing on the field last season. Now, he will have to recover quickly in order to be ready early in the season.
This latest injury setback could slow his chances of making a fast impact in 2022.
Onwuzurike Stats & Highlights
The Lions needed some help in the trenches and the hope is Onwurzurike can theoretically provide it consistently soon.
He collected 95 tackles in his time in college to go with 16 tackles for-loss and 7 sacks. Onwurzurike opted out of the 2020 season, but he showed well in 2019 when he last played. Teams looking to draft Onwuzurike were likely looking at his ability to be physical and tough in the trenches and develop into a great player in the middle.
In Detroit, Onwuzurike has started to show some signs of coming into his own on the field. Thus far this season, he has collected 9 total tackles and showed some of the burst he did in college when he secured his first sack on Thanksgiving Day:
In time, the Lions hope that Onwuzurike develops into a force. The team wants to see him healthy most of all, so news of his continued absence isn’t good ahead of the 2022 season.
The Lions have depth up front, but Onwuzurike could provide much more if he was right. The hope is his development can go a bit faster.
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Dan Campbell Offers Uninspiring Update About Injured Lions Defender