When Alim McNeill thinks about playing alongside veteran DJ Reader, there’s only one thing he can imagine.
“In my head, it honestly looks like destruction,” McNeill said. “There is no other way to look at it. Honestly, every time I close my eyes and visualize it, I only see destruction.”
This offseason, the Detroit Lions made one of their biggest moves in free agency with Brad Holmes, signing Reader, one of the NFL’s most dominant nose tackles, to a two-year, $22 million contract. Reader is coming off a torn quadriceps and may not be ready for the start of training camp, but McNeill can barely contain his excitement to play alongside the eight-year veteran.
“I’ve been watching DJ since I was younger, it’s crazy playing with him now,” McNeill said. “I’ve been watching DJ for a long time, he’s from Greensboro, I saw him at Clemson and Houston, everywhere, so he’s crazy. But I see destruction.”
McNeill himself is coming off a pretty impressive season. In 2023, he tallied 5.0 sacks, six tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits and an 86.8 PFF grade, good for seventh among all NFL defensive tackles. He will also benefit more from the addition of Reader, as offenses will now have to choose which player to double-team, leaving the other with a man to beat.
“Just being able to get different looks one on one, because they’re going to have to double DJ in some situations, you have to do it or you’re going to get fired,” McNeill said.
This is a critical year for McNeill as it could very well determine his future in the NFL. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract and about to make a lot of money. McNeill said he didn’t know if the Lions had approached him about an extension. He has asked his agent to keep those conversations to himself so he can focus on work.
“I’ve always had the mentality that I want to be the best on the field, I want to be the best player on the field, but this year I’m about to take it a step further,” McNeill said. “You just have to go one step further every year, you have to do it. My mentality, really, is what will separate (me).”
But when you close your eyes and imagine what this season will be like, it’s not about cashing in on your next contract or setting any personal records. He is thinking about parades in February.
“Perfect season, we won the Super Bowl, we are celebrating here in Detroit, in the city, that’s what I see when I close my eyes and when I go to train, when I go out for a run, when I’m in practice working on different movements, That’s what we all think about. That’s what I’m thinking about. And here everyone has the same attitude. We just want to win. Everything we can do to win.”
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