The Detroit Lions‘ defense has started to figure things out in recent weeks. A lot of that success can be attributed to the bounce-back season of defensive tackle Alim McNeil, according to Dan Campbell.
Campbell noted that McNeil has provided an impact not only for himself, but for the space that he creates for others.
“One of the reasons Mack is an impact player is that he can get push up the middle,” said Campbell. “First of all, he shuts down the run. Between him and Tyleik (Williams), he’s excellent against the run game. Then, to be able to get an edge and create pressure and push and make the quarterback move. That helps (Aidan Hutchinson), and that helps D.J. (Wonnum) and our other guys, you know, Sky (Gil-Howard).”
The Lions ranked 32nd in Expected Points Allowed on defense, and 29th in success rate allowed in the first four weeks. After Week 4, they rank 14th in EPA/Play and 10th in success rate.
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Explains Defensive Tackle Alim McNeil’s Impact
Campbell notes that you typically would want to sub out your best run-defending defensive tackle for specific pass-rush packages. However, the Lions have an advantage by being able to play McNeil on all downs, so they can get after the passer and defend the run with the same look.
“Man, it’s big to get an edge guy, and you get somebody in the middle, then it really opens up your pressure package,” added Campbell. “So that alone in itself, four-man rush, you can create some havoc, but now when you do decide to bring some of these pressure packages it helps significantly. So, he is doing a hell of a job; he’s playing at a high level right now.”
McNeil has 31 pressures on 279 pass rush attempts. His career high of 45 pressures came on 439 pass rush attempts. He is firmly on his way to a career high.
Lions Getting Best Year from McNeil
The former third-round pick was a rotational player through the first two seasons of his career. He recorded just three sacks in his first two years. However, he started to come on by his third season with five sacks. However, he has not topped that yet.
McNeil had 3.5 sacks, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2024. He came back in 2025, but was not nearly the same player. He recorded one sack and had 23 pressures on 318 pass rush attempts.
This year, he has 4.5 sacks and does not have as many snaps as the season prior. McNeil is just 26 years old and is hitting his peak as a player. The four-year, $97M extension he signed looked questionable after his first year out of injury. Now that he is fully healthy, the move looks like a bargain.
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