The spotlight's on Penei Sewell, because he's the seventh overall pick. There's excitement for Amon-Ra St. Brown, because he can help fill the void at receiver. But the rookie who's made the most noise at Lions' training camp thus far might be defensive tackle Alim McNeill.
"You talking about the dancing bear? I tell you what, man, he's unbelievable," defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said Tuesday. "Strong, agile, everything that we expected when we got him. You saw it on tape. So we're happy with that player. Now, he's still got a ways to go, just like a lot of the guys do. We're going to coach his butt off and continue to make him be successful to be the player he can be."
McNeill was a linebacker and running back in high school. (He was also a star on the baseball field.) That's the player he was. The player he can be is the run-stuffing, pass-rushing menace he turned into at NC State. After the Lions drafted him in the third round, McNeill said his goal was to 'create havoc and destroy blocks.' He's off to a good start.
“‘Twinkle Toes?’ I'd be careful gushing right now because I want to see him in pads," Dan Campbell said Tuesday morning before Detroit's first padded practice of camp. "I'm telling you, for a big man -- and he's a big man, he's thick -- he's got really good feet. I think this kid's going to be able to do more than just play nose tackle. There's going to be more to this kid than just that. We'll find out, but I've been impressed. He's smart. He's locked in. He works. He's been good."
Related
Twinkle Toes, Dancing Bear, either one is fine for McNeill. He said he's been called the latter since his freshman year of college. He had blood on his jersey when he walked off the practice field Tuesday, and a smile on his face. He was so excited to strap on the pads that he said he couldn't sleep Monday night. Once they started popping, he said "it felt good. It felt right."
"It was a solid first day, I would say. There are some things I need to work on, but I was definitely not scared out there or anything," McNeill said.
And why would he be? He's the second biggest player on Detroit's defense at 330 pounds, trailing only fellow DT John Penisini. It was Penisini's blood that McNeill was wearing, after Penisini beat up his hands during some drills. McNeill's hands have been in a fight of their own. He's spent a good chunk of camp sparring with Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow, another reason McNeill has nothing to fear. He's already seen the best the NFL can offer.
"I've never really gone against a center as coveted as Frank is," McNeill said. "He's really a technician. He's going to sit there and anchor. I feel like I got a couple good reps on him, and he got some good reps on me. But I'm just learning from him by asking questions. I hope he doesn't think I'm annoying, because I kind of pester him with questions about different stuff, just trying to get better. But I'm definitely going to get better going against him."
Ragnow said Tuesday that McNeill is surprisingly "twitchy for how big he is." And for the record, he said he loves that the rookie asks so many questions, like "what I was thinking there, or why I was doing that." Glenn said that McNeill that has been "dominant" in run-game reps and that he's "holding his own" against the elite center in front of him.
If you ask Campbell, "the whole premise" of Detroit's defense is getting pressure up the middle so that the edge rushers can make plays. McNeill can be a key cog on the interior, alongside veterans Michael Brockers and Nick Williams. He said he wants to show the coaching staff "that I can be that guy they need in the middle ... to stop the run and create havoc."
"I'm just a rook, so I'm not going to say too much. Just coming out here, being physical, getting hands on people and doing my job," he said.
Expectations are rising for McNeill. His emergence would be a boon for a defense that allowed the second most rushing yards in the NFC and the most rushing touchdowns in the NFL last season. McNeill's self-expectations were high from the start, and the rest of us are beginning to see why.
"I expect nothing less than greatness," he said.