One of the openings on the Detroit Lions defensive line wasn’t supposed to be there. The Lions drafted Levi Onwuzurike two years ago to play the exact spot that remains largely unfilled as an upfield tackle.
Onwuzurike has barely played since being the 41st pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He missed the entire 2022 season after aggravating a long-running back injury on the very first rep of full contact in training camp. The back issue goes back several years for Onwuzurike to his earlier days at the University of Washington.
Head coach Dan Campbell offered a brief, solemn update on the big DT and his ongoing back problems.
“We talked to him a couple of weeks ago, he was doing good, the rehab has gone well,” Campbell said via Dave Birkett of the Free Press. “But you just don’t know. You don’t know with a back. But I mean certainly, he’s going to get an opportunity if the body will allow it.”
It’s that last phrase that is the troublesome part for Onwuzurike.
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