Alim McNeill was a running back and linebacker in high school. Within a week of practice at NC State, he was a defensive tackle -- and a good one.
"It wasn’t that hard of a transition for me," he said. "Being able to use my athleticism is what really put me over the edge, being able to make moves on guards that I was a lot quicker than."
Sounds easy. And that's the way McNeill made it look. He became a key cog in NC State's defense for the next three seasons, earning first-team All-ACC honors in 2020, and on Friday he became a third-round pick of the Lions, No. 72 overall.
In reality, there's nothing easy about playing defensive tackle. It's ugly. It's unforgiving. In McNeill's words, "It's not the most glorious position stats-wise." But good D-tackles -- specifically, good nose tackles -- are a crucial component of a successful defense, a component the Lions have been missing.
McNeill is eager to help change that.
"It’s a very key position, but you have to have the mindset that, 'I'm here to plug gaps, I’m gonna create havoc, I'm gonna destroy blocks, I’m gonna make plays in the backfield while also doing my job the correct way,'" he said.
McNeill was the second defensive tackle the Lions drafted on Friday, following Washington's Levi Onwuzurike No. 41 overall. That doesn't seem like a coincidence in a division that features Pro Bowl running backs Dalvin Cook and Aaron Jones and on the heels of a season in which Detroit allowed over 130 rushing yards per game.
"I feel like we’re trending in the correct direction," McNeill said. "We’re going up. I really think something special is brewing here and I can’t wait to get it going."
He used to be the running back that burst through the holes. Now he's the run-stopper sealing them shut. It takes the right kind of person to tackle that job, and it sounds like the Lions got one in McNeill.
"You just have to a selfless person to play in there," he said. "Somebody who’s gritty and willing to put their body on the line."