The Detroit Lions face a significant challenge in replacing interior defensive lineman Alim McNeill, who is heading to injured reserve following a knee sprain during the game against the New Orleans Saints. McNeill, in his third NFL season, had been delivering a breakout performance, achieving a career-best five sacks, nine quarterback hits, and an impressive 88.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 12 games this season.
With McNeill’s absence for at least the next four games, the Lions must find ways to compensate for the production loss along the defensive line. Among the remaining defensive tackles on the roster, Levi Onwuzurike emerges as a natural fit to fill McNeill’s position as the lone 3-technique tackle. However, Onwuzurike has struggled with consistency, having faced injury setbacks and accumulating modest statistics in his career.
To address the void left by McNeill, the Lions are expected to distribute playing time among multiple defensive linemen. John Cominsky, recognized for his versatility, is likely to see increased snaps, potentially making a switch from playing outside to inside. The Lions may also deploy Josh Paschal to contribute in McNeill’s absence.
Quinton Bohanna, who has seen increased playing time in recent games, and Tyson Alualu, a recent addition to the practice squad, are additional options for the Lions. Alualu, a seasoned player with 416 total tackles over 13 NFL seasons, presents experience but hasn’t seen game action since 2022.
While acknowledging that none of these options are likely to fully replace McNeill’s production, the Lions aim to leverage the strengths of various players to compensate for the impact he had along the interior of the defensive line. The upcoming weeks will be crucial in evaluating how effectively the Lions can adapt to the absence of the standout defensive lineman.
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