The Detroit Lions rewarded defensive tackle Alim McNeill with a massive four-year, $97 million extension in the middle of the 2024 season, and one NFL analyst believes the contract was a massive overpay by the Lions.
Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport dubbed McNeill, who is the fifth-highest-paid defensive tackle in football, the most overpaid player at his position.
"McNeill is a quality run defender who flashes occasionally as a pass-rusher. But he's never had more than five sacks in a season and has just 11.5 for his career. Players making upward of $25 million a season are expected to be game-wreckers. And just when he was showing some potential to be one, he tore up his knee," Davenport wrote.
McNeill tore his ACL after Detroit's Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills in 2024 and isn't expected to return until October or November of this year. So, the timing of the extension was unfortunate for the Lions, as the starting defensive tackle likely won't see the field for the first handful of games in 2025.
Though McNeill doesn't post prolific sack numbers, his impact on the field is undeniable. When healthy, the 25-year-old is a stout run defender who dominates in the middle of the Lions' defensive line and helps free up his teammates for easy sack opportunities.
Despite not posting many sacks, McNeill still provides adequate pass-rushing production on the interior, tallying more than 40 quarterback pressures in each of the last two seasons.
Obviously, McNeill will have to do more in the future to justify his $97 million contract, but the NC State product has gotten better every year he's been in the league and should be a crucial long-term piece on Detroit's defense.
MORE: Lions and Dan Skipper defend Detroit after WNBA star's negative comment about city