Alim McNeill (born May 11, 2000) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at NC State, and was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.
| No. 54 – Detroit Lions | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | May 11, 2000 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 315 lb (143 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Sanderson (Raleigh, North Carolina) | ||||||||||
| College: | NC State (2018–2020) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2021 / round: 3 / pick: 72 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 10, 2024 | |||||||||||
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Early life
editMcNeill attended Jesse O. Sanderson High School in Raleigh, North Carolina.[1] He played linebacker and running back in high school. McNeill committed to North Carolina State University to play college football.[2] He also played baseball in high school.
College career
editMcNeill played at NC State from 2018 to 2020. During his career, he had 77 tackles, 10 sacks, one interception and one touchdown. As a junior, he was named an All-American by The Athletic and Pro Football Focus.[3] After that season, he entered the 2021 NFL draft.[4][5][6]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+7⁄8 in (1.88 m) |
317 lb (144 kg) |
32+5⁄8 in (0.83 m) |
9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
4.96 s | 1.68 s | 2.90 s | 4.65 s | 7.68 s | 30.5 in (0.77 m) |
9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) |
27 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[7][8][9] | ||||||||||||
McNeill was drafted 72nd overall by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.[10] He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 13, 2021.[11]
McNeil entered the 2023 season as the Lions starting defensive tackle. In Week 8, he recorded two sacks, his first career multi-sack game, and a pass deflection in a 26–14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He suffered a knee injury in Week 13 and was placed on injured reserve on December 5, 2023.[12] He was activated on January 6, 2024.
On October 15, 2024, McNeill signed a four-year, $97 million contract extension with the Lions.[13]
References
edit- ^ Stout, Jon (November 4, 2017). "Sanderson four-star DL Alim McNeill commits to NC State". High School OT. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
- ^ Pope IV, Jonas (November 4, 2017). "Four-star defensive line prospect Alim McNeill commits to NC State". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Thompson, David (December 21, 2020). "Alim McNeil named All-American by Pro Football Focus". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Pope IV, Jonas (December 5, 2020). "Alim McNeill, NC State nose tackle, headed to the NFL. Here's how he became a star". The News & Observer. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Thompson, David (December 5, 2020). "NC State's Alim McNeil to forgo senior season, turn pro". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Gibson, Todd (December 14, 2020). "Known for wreaking havoc, NC State's Alim McNeill ready to tackle the NFL". CBS17.com. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
- ^ "Alim McNeill Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- ^ "2021 Draft Scout Alim McNeill, North Carolina State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- ^ "Alim McNeill 2021 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- ^ Monarrez, Carlos; Alter, Marlowe (April 30, 2021). "Detroit Lions pick DT Alim McNeill from North Carolina State in Round 3 of 2021 NFL draft". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ Links, Zachary (May 13, 2021). "NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/21". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
- ^ Risdon, Jeff (December 5, 2023). "Lions place DT Alim McNeill on I.R. in series of roster moves". Lions Wire. USA Today. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ Gordon, Grant (October 15, 2024). "Lions, DT Alim McNeill agree to terms on four-year, $97M extension". NFL.com.