Alim McNeill can't lie. When two of his draft mates cashed in with the Lions this offseason, was it a reminder of what might be out there for him?
"I mean, I'm always gonna be self-motivated and everything, but yeah, 100 percent," McNeill said Thursday after the Lions' final practice of minicamp.
Brad Holmes has set a clear precedent in Detroit: the Lions will reward their own. On the same day in April that they extended All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown for $30 million a year, they extended All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell for $28 million a year. McNeill, the burgeoning defensive tackle, could be the next member of Holmes' first draft class to hit the jackpot.
A third-round pick in 2021, McNeill is in a good spot. He just turned 24, he played at a Pro Bowl-caliber level for most of last season and salaries at his position are soaring. 11 defensive tackles will make north of $20 million this season, all of whom signed their deals either this year or last. The three highest-paid -- Chris Jones, Christian Wilkins and Justin Maduibuike -- all signed this offseason. The cap is spiking and teams are spending.
Now might be the time for the Lions to start negotiating McNeill's next deal. If he takes another step this year as the team expects, he'll only drive his value higher in his contract season. And maybe talks have already begun. If they have, McNeill told his agent, "Don't tell me."
"I’m just working, head down. Whatever happens, happens," he said. "I still have to play good to set myself up to even get any of that, so I’m not worried about that right now."
Motivation abounds for McNeill, who wants to avenge the Lions' loss in the NFC title game and cement himself as one of the most dominant players in the game. He doesn't need to listen to know that money talks. And as Dan Campbell said Thursday, the Lions don't want -- or have -- players who are compelled by a contract year to reach for more.
"If that’s the deal, we probably have the wrong guy. And I feel very confident that Brad and I made the right decision on the guys we drafted or brought in," Campbell said.
McNeill has improved with each season, and expects more out of himself this year. He graded out as the sixth best interior defender in the NFL last season, per Pro Football Focus, and was top five against the run. No coincidence that the Lions had the second best run defense in the league. McNeill also broke through as a pass rusher with a career-high 34 quarterback pressures and five sacks. He's on the verge of stardom.
"I’ve always had a mentality that I want to be the best player on the field, but this year I’m about to take it up another notch," he said.
Ahead of last season, McNeill cut 20 pounds of fat and looked quicker than ever. He still checks in at 315 pounds of fury. He's even reintegrated red meat into his diet -- just "a little bit" -- to pack on more muscle. The smile on this side of his face mask becomes a scowl and a growl on the other.
And McNeill isn't the only one who sees more for himself this season. "I think we all do," said Campbell. ""Mac has got so much ability. And the nimbleness and athleticism and power that he has for the way that he’s built, you don’t see that every day. He really took a big step last year. We still feel like there’s more in there."
In fact, this was one of the first things that Detroit's new defensive line coach Terrell Williams -- the best D-line coach in the league, if you ask Campbell -- said to Campbell upon arriving this offseason. While Williams always liked McNeill from afar during his time with the Titans, he told Campbell, "We can get more out of him."
"Some of that is by fundamentals, and technique, and just continuing to push," Campbell said.
And a lot of it will be based on DJ Reader. With the arrival of the 335-pound interior menace, McNeill will get to play next to another high-level defensive tackle for the first time in his career. He said Reader has already made him better and "he’s not even on the field" yet as recovers from surgery on a torn quad. The eight-year vet watched film on each of his new teammates this offseason and is full of pointers for McNeill after every practice.
When Reader does hit the field -- the Lions expect him to ramp up in training camp -- McNeill will benefit even more: "Just being able to get different one-on-one looks," he said, "because they’re gonna have to double DJ in some situations or he’s gonna get the sack." Reader ranked 13th among interior defenders last season, per PFF, which gives the Lions, if all goes according to plan, two destroyers in the trenches.
And that's exactly what this partnership looks like to McNeill.
"Every time I close my eyes and visualize it, I just see destruction," he said.
When he visualizes the season, McNeill thinks even bigger. He sees a Super Bowl title and a parade in Detroit. These are the images running through his brain "when I go work out, when I go run, when I'm at practice working on different moves."
"That's what we all think about. Everybody has the same attitude here. We just want to win," said McNeill. "Whatever we can do to win."
If McNeill walks the walk, his agent can talk the rest of the talk.