Dan Campbell
Getty
The Lions have hosted a former NFC North LB for a visit.
The Detroit Lions are in need of serious depth at the edge rushing position following the departures of Al-Quadin Muhammad, Tyrus Wheat, and Josh Paschal
Now, they’ve helped to fill some of that void. On Tuesday, the Lions hosted linebacker D.J. Wonnum for a free-agent visit. It apparently didn’t take the two sides long to hammer out an agreement.
According to NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Wonnum is signing with the Lions on a one-year contract worth up to $6 million.
“Former Panthers free-agent DE DJ Wonnum is signing a one-year deal worth up to $6 million with the Detroit Lions, per his agents Kevin Conner and Robert Brown of UniversalSportsMgmt,” Schefter wrote on X.
If that name sounds familiar to Lions fans, it should.
Wonnum is originally a fourth-round (117th overall) selection of the rival Minnesota Vikings in the 2020 NFL Draft after attending college at South Carolina.
Ironically, during the 2023 NFL season, Wonnum suffered a season-ending injury while playing for the Vikings against the Lions
Following his time with the Vikings, Wonnum signed a two-year, $12.5 million contract with the Carolina Panthers. This past season, he racked up 42 tackles, along with three sacks, three passes defensed, and one interception while starting 15 games.
Over the course of his NFL career, Wonnum has racked up an impressive 30 sacks and 250 combined tackles (32 for loss).