DJ Wonnum
#98 LB · Detroit Lions
1 transaction this offseason
Height
6'5"
Weight
258 lbs
Age
28
Draft
2020, Rd 4, #117
Experience
7 yrs
LB Rank
#77 / 338
N/A
CVIB-
B-
N/A
Fan VerdictWhat's your verdict?
Grade DJ Wonnum
Your grade joins the crowd-sourced Fan Verdict.
The Verdict on DJ, in One Read
On the field, DJ Wonnum grades out as a strong LB for Detroit Lions (B- Performance). That places him 77th of 338 graded linebackers. The public read is positive (B- Sentiment), drawn from current news and social signal rather than the box score.
Career StatsB-
| Year | Team | GP | Tkl | Sacks | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 86 | 250 | 30.0 | 1 |
| 2025 |  | 16 | 42 | 3.0 | 1 |
| 2024 | | 8 | 37 | 4.0 | 0 |
| 2023 |  | 15 |
Contract terms haven't been reported.
Performance Analysis
B-
#77 of 338 LBs
FCA+
DJ Wonnum is an established seven-year veteran linebacker for the Detroit Lions bringing 86 career games of experience to a middling 2025 campaign. The 28-year-old has graded out at B- overall, posting respectable tackle volume while maintaining consistency in pass defense and pressure generation. However, his current season represents a notable decline from the B- grade he earned in 2023, signaling potential fatigue or diminished opportunity within Detroit's defensive scheme. Wonnum's tackle production sits at 2.63 per game, meaningfully above the NFL average of 2.19, suggesting he remains a reliable communicator and gap-setter in run defense. His sack rate of 0.19 per game tracks slightly ahead of the league mean at 0.15, indicating modest rush disruption for a linebacker. The concern emerges in tackles for loss, where his 0.19 per-game clip falls short of the 0.27 average, revealing limited explosive impact on explosive plays—a weakness that has compounded during his downward trajectory from 2023 through 2025. Wonnum's pass defense metric of 0.19 per game matches elite NFL standards at 0.50, showing solid coverage awareness and ability to contest throws. Looking ahead, Wonnum faces a critical juncture: his role as a depth-to-midrange contributor limits his ceiling, yet his tackle consistency provides floor value in Detroit's linebacker rotation. Whether he can arrest the recent performance decline or establish himself as a reliable veteran option will largely depend on his assignment opportunities and ability to rediscover the form that defined his 2023 season.
Performance vs. NFL Position Average
Tackles/Game2.63
How DJ Compares at the Position
DJ Wonnum ranks 77th of 338 graded linebackers by performance. That slots DJ between Elandon Roberts (B-) just ahead and Nakobe Dean (B-) just behind.
Graded higher
Elandon RobertsLas Vegas RaidersB-Anfernee JenningsNew Orleans SaintsB-Uchenna NwosuSeattle SeahawksB-DJ WonnumB-
Graded lower
Nakobe DeanLas Vegas RaidersFan Sentiment
B-
Positive
NegativeNeutralPositive
Wonnum signing represents a solid depth addition for Detroit's edge rotation. Five headlines emphasize defensive line stabilization and starter experience from Panthers tenure. Former starter designation signals meaningful contributor rather than pure backup depth piece. Lions fans view this as practical reinforcement without game-changing impact or star power. Wonnum projects as reliable rotation player competing for snaps in competitive edge group.
📰5 news💭1 ai_analysis
Transaction History
News & Buzz
Live Discussion
Auto-moderated fan forum with 5-minute speaker turns
Discussion
Loading discussion...
Explore the leaderboards
About this player
DJ Wonnum is a player in his 7th NFL season listed at LB for the Detroit Lions. FanVerdicts covers every NFL player, team, GM, and transaction — and puts your verdict on all of it. Sign in to cast your Fan Verdict on DJ Wonnum, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts also brings its own read — performance, sentiment, and Contract Value Index — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Performance B-, Sentiment B-.
The crowd's Fan Verdict moves in real time as fans vote on this profile. FanVerdicts' own read updates as new data lands — performance recalculates when NFL game stats post, sentiment shifts with media coverage and fan discussion, and the Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change.
For league-wide context, the NFL hub has team rankings, GM report cards, the transactions feed, and live scoreboards. The NFL player rankings page sorts every active player by performance and contract value within their position.