Detroit Lions Host Former Panthers, Vikings OLB For Visit

The Detroit Lions have shown interest in an outside linebacker as the second week of NFL free agency begins.

On Tuesday, the NFL wire indicated the team hosted D.J. Wonnum on a visit at their Allen Park Performance Center.

Wonnum, 28, will be entering his seventh professional season.

The talented defender was most recently with the Carolina Panthers. Last season, he recorded three sacks and an interception while playing for the NFC South division champions.

Wonnum was a fourth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2020 NFL draft. He spent the first four seasons of his career there before landing in Carolina for the last two. Over his six NFL years, he has recorded 30 sacks, 250 combined tackles and 32 tackles for loss.

Detroit is currently in an interesting spot at the EDGE position, as they currently have three players on roster. Aidan Hutchinson is the headliner, as he has emerged as one of the top players at the position in all of football. However, outside of him the only two other options are 2025 sixth-round pick Ahmed Hassanein and Tyler Lacy.

Hutchinson is coming off a career year in which he logged 14.5 sacks and earned Pro Bowl honors for the second time in his career. He was also a Second-Team All-Pro selection.

Hassanein did not appear in a game for the Lions in 2025, as he was waived with an injury designation at the end of training camp. He returned on the practice squad after his injury settlement expired, and re-signed on a futures contract at the end of the season.

Because of this lack of depth, the Lions have been inclined to search for EDGE depth, and Wonnum is a veteran option who could help in that aspect.

So far, the Lions have focused their free agency efforts on the offensive line and the secondary. They signed center Cade Mays and offensive tackle Larry Borom, both of whom could help up front. Detroit also brought in Christian Izien and Roger McCreary as secondary reinforcements.

Other Lions free agent signings include running back Isiah Pacheco, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and tight end Tyler Conklin. The team also re-signed linebacker Malcom Rodriguez and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.

Wonnum played collegiately at South Carolina. During his career in college, he recorded 137 career tackles, including 29.5 for loss, and 14 sacks. He was a two-time team captain for the Gamecocks and a Second-Team All-SEC selection in 2019.