Alim McNeill talked Wednesday about his extension, and the Detroit Lions’ insanely talented 2021 draft class.
On Tuesday night, Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill signed a four-year extension worth $97 million, placing him firmly among the top five paid players at his position. Even though the Lions had publicly made it known that McNeill was next in line for an extension, the timing of it actually happening—in the middle of Week 7—caught the fourth-year defender off guard.
“I didn’t really know when it was going to be, because I wasn’t that locked in on that to be honest,” McNeill said on Wednesday. “And then my agents called me two days ago and things were getting more serious, and I’m like, ‘Okay, this is getting a little crazy.’ Then the next day, it happens, and I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah. This is wild.’ The timing definitely was crazy, I didn’t expect nothing right then at that time, at that moment.”
With his extension now officially on the books, the Lions’ 2021 draft class has notched another impressive feat. Combined with the offseason extensions of Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown, that class now has produced three top-tier extensions. And there could be more around the corner: with other strong contributors like Levi Onwuzurike, Derrick Barnes, and Ifeatu Melifonwu, Detroit could very well end up keeping at least six of their seven draft picks from that class when their rookie contracts expire at the end of the year.
It’s a truly phenomenal feat from general manager Brad Holmes, and something McNeill recognized early in his rookie training camp.
“I knew something was a little crazy about our class—it was Amon-Ra, he had hurdled somebody—I swear it was our first padded practice our rookie year,” McNeill said. “He hurdled somebody and Penei did something else that day, and then I feel like I had did pretty good against Frank (Ragnow) that day, so it was like, ‘Okay, we might have a little something going,’ Then, look at where the class is now. Penei and Amon-Ra, those guys are elite superstars.”
This move from @amonra_stbrown is a whole Monday mood.#LionsCamp | @RocketMortgage pic.twitter.com/tB4l57wlY7
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 9, 2021
While Sewell and St. Brown were immediate superstars, it took a little longer for McNeill to get there. He started just six games his rookie season, and only had 3.0 sacks in his first two years combined. Not happy with his production, McNeill went through a body transformation ahead of the 2023 season, and the results were almost immediate. He finished 2023 as PFF’s seventh-best graded interior defender and he ranks sixth so far this season. He has 7.5 sacks in his last 18 games, and he’s on pace for 8.5 sacks this year.
“Last year, I was actually a part of the team because I was doing something, producing,” McNeill said. “So for me, I feel like last year (I was a pillar), but I never really thought about it like that, called myself a pillar or anything. I just came in and did my job.”
McNeill may feel like he’s just doing his job, but it’s clear the Lions view him as that foundational piece now. They showed it with their actions, and Dan Campbell said it outright.
“He’s a pivotal piece here for us and he’s one of our pillars here,” Campbell said. “No different than these guys that we’ve signed back, so we’re fired up for him. He’s playing at a high level and he’s going to have to continue.”
