Alim McNeill (born May 11, 2000) is an American football defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at NC State, and was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
No. 54 – Detroit Lions | |||||||||
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Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. | May 11, 2000||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 315 lb (143 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Sanderson (Raleigh, North Carolina) | ||||||||
College: | NC State (2018–2020) | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 2021 / Round: 3 / Pick: 72 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
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Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
McNeill attended Jesse O. Sanderson High School in Raleigh, North Carolina.[1] He played linebacker and running back in high school. McNeill committed to North Carolina State University to play college football.[2] He also played baseball in high school.
McNeill played at NC State from 2018 to 2020. During his career, he had 77 tackles, 10 sacks, one interception and one touchdown. As a junior, he was named an All-American by The Athletic and Pro Football Focus.[3] After that season, he entered the 2021 NFL Draft.[4][5][6]
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
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6 ft 1+7⁄8 in (1.88 m) |
317 lb (144 kg) |
32+5⁄8 in (0.83 m) |
9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
4.96 s | 1.68 s | 2.90 s | 4.65 s | 7.68 s | 30.5 in (0.77 m) |
9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) |
27 reps | |
All values from Pro Day[7][8][9] |
McNeill was drafted 72nd overall by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.[10] He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 13, 2021.[11]
McNeil entered the 2023 season as the Lions starting defensive tackle. In Week 8, he recorded two sacks, his first career multi-sack game, and a pass deflection in a 26–14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He suffered a knee injury in Week 13 and was placed on injured reserve on December 5, 2023.[12] He was activated on January 6, 2024.