Dan Campbell Jedrick Wills
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NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Thursday Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions hosted offensive tackle Jedrick Willis on a free agency visit.
It’s been five years since the Detroit Lions selected an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft. But the possibility of the team adding a former top 10 offensive tackle even before this year’s draft exists after the Lions hosted Jedrick Wills on a free agency visit.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Wills has begun touring teams before NFL free agency. According to Schultz, Wills saw the Lions on Thursday.
“Sources: Former Browns OT Jedrick Wills, who sat out last season to fully recover from a knee injury, has been on a tour of visits with NFL teams — including the Patriots and today with the Lions,” Schultz wrote. “Visits are expected to continue into next week.
“A former top-1o pick, Wills — who is just 26 — fully expects to be with an NFL team this season.”
Jordan Schultz
Sources: Former #Browns OT Jedrick Wills, who sat out last season to fully recover from a knee injury, has been on a tour of visits with NFL teams — including the #Patriots and today with the #Lions. Visits are expected to continue into next week.
A former top-10 pick, Wills —
As Schultz indicated, Wills didn’t play at all last season because of his knee injury. He wasn’t on a roster during 2025 either as he recovered.
Wills missed a majority of the 2023 and 2024 campaigns due of issues in one of his MCLs.
The only time Wills has played the entire NFL season was 2022. But he appears hopeful to return fully healthy and on a roster for this fall.
The Cleveland Browns picked Wills at No. 10 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Could Lions Add Tackle Depth With Jedrick Wills?
As a top 10 selection in the NFL draft, Wills clearly entered the league with a lot of talent. Only one offensive tackle came off the board in 2020 before Wills did at No. 10.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Wills to six-time All-Pro and nine-team Pro Bowler Jason Peters.
“Wills is one of the most impressive tackles in the draft; he has basketball-caliber foot quickness and the quick hands of a boxer, and all of it is wrapped in a stout, powerful package of bad intentions,” Zierlein wrote in Wills’s draft profile. “His game is tailor-made for the NFL, and his range of success is good starter to All-Pro.”
But injuries helped prevent him from reaching his potential.
Wills was at least able to play a majority of the time in his first three seasons. He only missed five games from 2020-22.
But he then sat out 21 contests the following two seasons. Wills sustained his MCL injury during Week 9 of 2023.
In his prime, Wills was a strong pass protector and average run blocker, according to Pro Football Focus player grades. He could be worth a flier for a team such as the Lions, who pundits expect to rebuild their offensive line this offseason.