The Detroit Lions made the decision to invest heavily in defensive tackle Alim McNeill.
After being selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the talented defensive lineman has worked to become an impactful member of Aaron Glenn's defense.
General manager Brad Holmes made the decision during this season to sign McNeill to a four-year, $97 million contract extension through the 2028 NFL season
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn shared that with Aidan Hutchinson being out for an extended period of time, McNeill has contributed significantly to the growth of Jack Campbell and the success of the defensive line.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all. I expect those things from him and for a defensive lineman, sometimes they don’t get the credit they deserve for doing the dirty work. He’s been doing that for a while. I will say this, that’s the reason why Jack Campbell has improved, with him and DJ Reader," said Glenn. "A lot of those times, those guys aren’t getting blocked by anybody because of what those guys do. Within our defense, especially when we’re playing on light blocks, we expect our d-linemen to take two so our linebackers can run.
"Those guys are two of the best in the league at doing that. And then, his ability to rush the passer is starting to show up a little bit," Glenn continued. "He’s always had that ability because of his talent, but you can tell right now that part of his game is really starting to get an uptick and his two-blocks, he’s starting to utilize those a lot more.”
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Linebacker Trevor Nowaske shared with Lions OnSI after practice this week how the 24-year-old makes his and his unit's task of stuffing the run and pressuring the quarterback just a little easier.
"He's doing a great job. He makes our jobs a lot easier. He's been dominant," Nowaske said of McNeill. "Last game he had a ton of pressures, I don't know how many exactly. But no, he's been doing a great job freeing stuff up and also allowing on the d-line to have other people to have free one-on-ones as well."
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The veteran defensive lineman is clearly excited to move from a Browns team going through struggles to join a Lions team that is contending to win the Super Bowl.
Against the Texans, the 32-year-old was seen on the sidelines coaching up members of the defensive line and linebackers.
"It's gonna be great. Even last game, you kind of saw that he was coaching people up on the sideline," Nowaske said of Smith. "Gave me a couple tips. He's already had a huge impact in the short time he's been here, so super excited to have him and hopefully learn a couple things from him."
While Nowaske could not reveal specifics of what was discussed, Smith expressed following Detroit's 26-23 victory that defensive lineman can learn more about the direction a play is being run by listening closely to the communication of the offensive line.
"It was just game plan specific stuff so can't really get into it," Nowaske said. "Just on the sideline, come off, watch a little tape. He's a vet, and I'm excited to learn from him."
