It is now or never for head coach Dan Campbell's Detroit Lions squad after failing to make the playoffs in 2025. While Campbell has made it clear that the Lions are content with the roster they have put together, several players are going to be under the microscope going into the 2026 season.
One of them is veteran defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who has not been the same since a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee in December 2024 forced him to miss half of the 2025 season. McNeill signed a four-year, $97 million contract in 2024 and looked like he was going to live up to that deal before his season was cut short.
However, Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman believes McNeill will have the biggest bounce-back season on the roster, even ahead of Christian Mahogany, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Levi Onwuzurike, or someone else in a secondary that was injury-plagued last season.
If he can get back to full strength and use those struggles as extra motivation, McNeill could be in line for a big season.
Alim McNeill could be primed for a bounce-back season in 2026
Even though McNeill returned with just 14 total tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in 2025, he has already emerged as a breakout candidate after Round 1 of Lions OTAs. For starters, McNeill has expressed how his struggles kept him up at night, so it is clear that he is going to have a chip on his shoulder as he looks to prove that the contract extension was well worth the investment.
When you look at McNeill's overall production from last season, though, there is definitely some cause for concern. According to Pro Football Focus, his overall grade (52.1) was 90th out of 134 qualified interior defenders. Meanwhile, his pass rush grade (61.3) was not much better at 72nd, while his run defense grade (47.2) was 91st.
A lot of that, however, could have been due to McNeill getting back up to speed following the injury and not being 100%.
With that said, McNeill has proven to be a disruptive defender who will now go into the 2026 season with his ACL injury well behind him. He was also one of the key parts of this defense when he was fully healthy, logging a personal-best 41 total tackles in the 2022 season.
Before his injury in 2024, McNeill registered 25 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks, one year removed from a career-high five sacks in 2023.
That is exactly the kind of interior pressure the Lions could use more of on a defensive front that already includes star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
There is no doubt that the 2025 season was a humbling one for the Lions after being on the doorstep of the Super Bowl in 2023 and getting upset by the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round one year later.
Now that McNeill is mentally and physically prepared to return to the field in peak form, the hope is that he returns to the explosive version of himself prior to the injury and gives this defense an edge that it has been missing on the interior.
This team has a lot to prove as it looks to contend for an NFC North title and get back to the playoffs. McNeill's ability to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign will be crucial, but if the early signs from OTAs are any indication, McNeill could be on his way to a bounce-back season and a return to form that was absent in his return.
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