Alim McNeill: What scouting reports said before the draft about the Lions DT

The Detroit Lions landed one of the more coveted players of the third round of the 2021 NFL draft in Alim McNeill. The defensive tackle from North Carolina State was in demand, and for good reason based upon the pre-draft scouting reports on McNeill.

In reviewing some of the more prominent scouting reports and profiles on McNeill from before the draft, a pretty clear picture emerges. The 6-foot-2, 317-pound nose tackle is consistent;y praised for his athleticism and upside. Here’s a sampling of what was said and written about McNeill before the draft.

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NFL.com

The league’s official site features draft profiles from Lance Zierlein, a longtime talent evaluator who grew up around the league. The player comparison is for Khalen Saunders, a third-round pick by the Chiefs in 2019 who was a key part of Kansas City’s defensive line rotation in the Super Bowl-winning season.

Zierlein writes of McNeill,

Sawed-off frame that lacks optimal length but carries plenty of base strength and upper-body explosiveness. McNeill lined up over the nose, which did him a bit of a disservice in relation to his athletic traits and overall strengths. He might not have the overall length and mass to withstand the rigors of two-gapping in the NFL, but he does have plus flexibility and fluidity for a big man and should create problems for centers as a shaded nose with the ability to attack or counter either A-gap. While he’s a good athlete and should test well, he’s not necessarily cat-quick and still relies more on power than first-step penetration quickness. He’s a likely rotational nose early in his career and has a chance to develop into a starter.

McNeill was listed as a second or third-round draft pick with a grade of 6.19, which lands in the “good backup who could become a starter” range.

Pro Football Focus

In its draft guide, PFF was quite complimentary toward McNeill’s growth as a run-stuffer in 2020. The move to playing more exclusively in the A-gap suited him well, per their analysis,

Every defense known to mankind can use a run-stuffing nose tackle who can also consistently collapse pockets. With McNeil’s explosiveness at 320 pounds, he could very well be that guy sooner rather than later. Even with little more than a first step in his repertoire, McNeil earned a 92.1 run defense grade and a 77.5 pass-rushing grade this season. He showed marked improvement holding up to double teams compared to 2019. In a weak defensive tackle class, McNeil could pay big dividends.

PFF is big on using bullet points for prospects. The positives included:

• As quick a 320-plus pounder as you’ll see. Get-off that creates problems.

• Role not great for pass-rushing production. Almost exclusively 0-technique.

There were some negatives as well,

• Not sure he has anything considered a pass-rush move in his arsenal. Just charges.

• Rushes the passer way too high. Spin moves looked like a figure skater.

• Big difference between him fresh and late in a series

Pro Football Focus still felt highly enough about McNeill to give him a second-round grade.

The Draft Network

The Draft Network team of evaluators ranked McNeill as their No. 82 overall player in the 2021 NFL draft class. Here’s what they said about the man the Lions snagged at No. 72 overall,

While there is some rawness that shows up to his game when it comes to technique and processing skills, McNeill is a powerful interior defender that is capable of controlling and resetting the line of scrimmage with his heavy hands and functional strength. While he wasn’t often asked to shoot gaps, he also has positive flashes of gap-penetration skills during his time at NC State. There is room for McNeill to grow as a pass rusher, but as it stands, his variety of rush moves and rush plan is underdeveloped. For a team in need of a short-yardage and early-down run stuffer that has a ceiling to develop into a more effective pass rusher, McNeill is a terrific mid-round option.

Ourlads

Perhaps the loftiest preview of McNeill came from Ourlads and longtime NFL scout Dan Shonka, who ranked the converted RB as the No. 2 defensive tackle in the class. Ourlads had McNeill well ahead of Lions’ second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike in its rankings.

Written in scout-speak, here is Shonks’a evaluation on McNeill,

Has played in multiple defensive schemes that had him play in multiple roles. The transition from 4-3 to 3-4 made the assumption his production would go down, but it went in the opposite direction. While he did prove he can two-gap inside, his upfield burst and explosion provided an extra punch to his game that can make him useable in many schemes. There is some skill development that needs to take place when it comes to hand usage and lateral balance, but this is a player who will play like a boulder against the run and a missile against the pass. Not an easy combination to find.

Has a frame that is nearly as wide as it is tall. Uses that square-type body
along with a low center of gravity to take up both space and blockers alike. A two-gapper with immense power and strength. Has sneaky speed and quickness that will chase action down from behind when the opportunity is there. Can get out of his stance in a hurry, putting a blocker on his heels and gaining the initial advantage. Plays a strong lockout game while deciphering what the offense is doing. Is a straight-line athlete. His surprising athleticism does not translate to all facets of the game. Tight hips won’t always maximize leverage and leg drive after the initial engagement. Needs to use his hands better after first contact.

The 8.40 grade lands McNeill squarely in the middle of the second round and portends a starting-caliber player early in hi scareer.

The Athletic/Dane Brugler

In his annual “Beast”, longtime NFL evaluator Dane Brugler ranked McNeill his No. 7 defensive tackle and gave him a third-round assessment. Here’s the skinny version of the report,

A two-year starter at NC State, McNeill was the nose tackle in defensive coordinator Tony Gibson’s 3-3-5 scheme, lining up primarily head up over the center. A 260-pound linebacker and running back in high school, he transitioned to defensive tackle for the Wolfpack without losing his explosiveness, earning a spot on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List. With his low center of gravity and heavy hands, McNeill can stack the point of attack, discard and pursue the football. He has the first-step quickness to shoot gaps, but his pass rush instincts and counter measures are currently undeveloped when he doesn’t win off the ball.

Overall, McNeill is not yet the sum of his parts and he needs to turn the flashes into better production, but his moldable raw traits are unique. He projects as a one-gap tackle with Javon Hargrave-like upside.

Brugler is the second source, along with PFF, to bring up a comparison to Javon Hargrave, who was a third-round pick by the Steelers in 2016 and quickly established himself as one of the most disruptive nose tackles in the NFL.