When Alim McNeill thinks about playing alongside veteran DJ Reader, there’s only one thing he can imagine.
“In my head, it just looks like destruction, to me, honestly,” McNeill said. “There’s no other way I can see it. Every time I close my eyes and visualize it, I just see destruction, honestly.”
This offseason, the Detroit Lions made one of their biggest free agency splash moves under Brad Holmes, signing Reader—one of the more dominant nose tackles in the NFL—to a two-year, $22 million deal. Reader is coming off a torn quad and he may not be ready by the start of training camp, but McNeill can barely hold in his excitement to play next to the eight-year veteran.
“I’ve been watching DJ since I was younger, it’s crazy I play with him now,” McNeill said. “I’ve been watching DJ for a long time now, him being from Greensboro, watched him through Clemson and Houston, everywhere, so it’s wild. But I see destruction.”
McNeill, himself, is coming off a pretty impressive season. In 2023, he tallied 5.0 sacks, six tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, and an 86.8 PFF grade, good for seventh among all NFL defensive tackles. He also stands to benefit most from Reader’s addition, seeing as offenses will now have to choose which player to double team, leaving the other with one man to beat.
“Just being able to get different one-on-one looks, because they’re going to have to double DJ in some situations, you have to or he’s gonna get the sack,” McNeill said.
This is a critical year for McNeill, as it could very well determine his NFL future. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract and on the verge of making some serious money. McNeill said he didn’t know if the Lions had approached him about an extension. He’s asked his agent to keep those conversations to himself so that he can focus on the work.
“I’ve always had a mentality that I want to be the best on the field, I want to be the best player on the field, but this year I’m about to take it over another notch,” McNeill said. “Just gotta take it up a notch every year, you got to. My mentality, really, is what will separate (me).”
But when he closes his eyes and imagines what becomes of this season, it’s not about cashing in on his next contract or setting any personal records. He’s thinking of parades in February.
“Perfect season, we won the Super Bowl, we’re celebrating here in Detroit, in the city. That’s what I see when I close my eyes, and when I go to workout when I go run, when I’m at practice working on different moves, that’s what we all think about. That’s what I’m thinking about. And everybody has the same attitude here. We just want to win. Whatever we can do to win.”
