All the early signs out of Lions camp point in the same direction: Alim McNeill looks ready to be a problem again.
That matters for Detroit, because the defensive line has a big job to do this season. With uncertainty lingering in the secondary, the front has to carry a lot of weight - stuffing the run, generating pressure and forcing offenses to deal with the chaos up front.
Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer came away from his visit to camp encouraged, and McNeill was one of the names that stood out most. Breer said the tackle looks like his old self again after the injury he suffered in 2024, and he described the front seven as being in great shape.
"The front seven is in fantastic shape. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill looks like he’s back to being himself, now nearly two years removed from his torn ACL, and has been dominant and playing with a ton of confidence in camp.
There’s also depth behind him. Former first-rounder Tyleik Williams has slimmed down and been disruptive in camp.
Sixth-rounder Skyler Gill-Howard is emerging as a dark horse, and 2025 waiver claim Tyler Lacy has shown inside/outside versatility."
"And then, on the edge, Aidan Hutchinson is Aidan Hutchinson, and Carolina import D.J. Wonnum and second-rounder Derrick Moore have shown promise opposite him. Then, you have Jack Campbell, now signed long-term, behind them, with second-year coordinator Kelvin Sheppard giving him more and more leeway to run the defense (he let him call it from the field for a full practice this week)."
McNeill may be the biggest piece of that group. If he’s anchoring the middle the way Detroit needs, the run defense gets sturdier and the pass rush gets a little more teeth. When he’s disruptive, everything around him can look cleaner.
And McNeill sounds like a player who feels that difference himself.
He said the gap between last season and now is huge, pointing to both his body and his confidence. He also made clear that camp has helped him get back into rhythm.
"I was there mentally last year. Physically, I just wasn't all the way there like I wanted to be.
You can see it, but if you can't get to it, you can't get to it. Now I got two legs and I have no excuse and I feel wonderful.
I really feel like I'm back to playing like me, getting off the ball like me, getting off blocks like I usually do."
"These reps here in training camp, they matter. People hate training camp.
It's long, this and that, but these reps matter out here and that's what gets you better. It's cliche, but it does.
Being able to get those reps, be with the guys, most importantly, build that chemistry, it's been really good."
So far, the comeback has looked smooth. McNeill has not missed a beat, and both the eye test and the camp reports are backing up what he’s saying. If that continues into the season, Detroit’s defense could end up looking a lot different.
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Lions Preseason Opener Put Several Roster Battles Suddenly In Focus
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Still, the opener also put some of the margin-of-error players in sharper relief. Isaac TeSlaa and Frazier both had uneven moments, with turnovers and penalties showing up at the wrong times, and that is exactly the kind of detail coaches tend to lean on when roster decisions start getting real. For a team trying to separate itself from the pack at the bottom of the depth chart, those next snaps may matter as much as the scoreboard did Friday night. [Read more 🡒]