ALLEN PARK — Defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, taken by the Detroit Lions with the 28th pick in last month’s NFL Draft, was limited during his first day of rookie minicamp.

But Lions fans can breathe a sigh of relief: Williams said it’s not related to a hamstring injury he suffered while running the 40-yard dash at Ohio State’s pro day. Williams said the decision to be withheld from portions of practice was prompted by the Lions, who are trying to be careful with their top pick after he played into late January while competing for a national title with the Buckeyes.

“It’s just a plan they got me going right now. I just came off a long season, so it’s just being smart,” Williams said Friday, noting that he did “have a little fall” during pro day, “but I’m just being smart so I can — we got a season to play, I’m coming off a long season. So just being smart.”

Williams was spotted on the field briefly at the start of practice before transitioning to side work, a regimen that included running the hill beyond Detroit’s practice field.

For newcomers, this time of year is all about learning. On-field work is only a small portion of the education Williams and his fellow rookies will receive over the next few weeks. While Williams isn’t full-go on the grass right now, he said he can accomplish a lot by continuing to stay in his playbook.

“I would say just mental reps. It’s a new playbook — you got to learn, so I’m going to be in the film room with all the coaches, just learning as much as I can,” he said. “So when I am on the field, getting more reps, I can do it at a high level.”

Williams hurt his shoulder in a win over Western Michigan in September and missed the next two games. He later injured his ankle against Penn State and did not take any snaps the following week against Purdue. He made 13 total appearances in 2024, totalling 46 tackles (eight for loss) and 2.5 sacks.