This past weekend, Tennessee football defensive lineman Tyre West had his dreams become a reality. In the seventh round with the No. 222 pick, the Detroit Lions added West to their list of draft picks.
How will West fit in with the Lions, though? ESPN lists him as the third-string LDE in Detroit’s base 4-3 defense. The starter in that role is one of the best defenders in the sport, Aidan Hutchinson. Bouncing back from a gruesome injury, Hutchinson played in 17 games last year while producing 54 tackles, 14.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
The backup spot to Hutchinson is manned by Tyler Lacy. He is entering his second season with the Lions after playing in 10 games a year ago. The spot behind West in the fourth-string role is Payton Turner, entering his first year in Detroit after playing four with the Saints.
On the other side, at RDE, it’s DJ Wonnum listed as the starter. This will be his first year with the Lions after posting 42 tackles and three sacks with the Panthers last year. His backup is Derrick Moore, a second-round pick in this year’s NFL draft.
While there are proven NFL players in front of West at defensive end, teams have also considered him someone with the potential to slide inside. His versatility could be a factor that keeps him on NFL rosters, even if he can’t grab a starting job.
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West just concluded his fourth year of college ball, all at Tennessee. At defensive end, he produced 23 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble in 2025. Each of these marks was a career high.
It’s his potential versatility that intrigued teams in the draft, though. While he almost solely played defensive end at UT, teams see him as someone who could slide into the interior due to his size. He was listed at 6-foot-3, 290 pounds in his senior season on Rocky Top.
West was the fifth and final Vol to be picked in the 2026 NFL Draft. This has featured Colton Hood to the Giants in the second round, Chris Brazzell to the Panthers in the third round, Jermod McCoy to the Raiders in the fourth round and Joshua Josephs to the Commanders in the fifth round.
