Finding Broncos: Scouting North Carolina State DL Alim McNeill
Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with North Carolina State defensive tackle Alim McNeill, a prospect the Denver Broncos might have some interest in due to his scheme fit and the roster needs on the defensive line.
Measurables
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 315 pounds
Stats
Sports-Reference.com
Pros
- An elite athlete with good versatility
- A former RB and that athleticism and explosion are on constant display when attacking O-lines
- Can play in multiple fronts and multiple techniques ranging from a 0- all the way to a 5-tech
- Allows defense to be creative upfront with the line and rush packages
- Hands are practically elite entering the NFL as he keeps them working with power and precision
- Does a good job of processing and breaking down what's happening and does well in pursuit
- Raw power to drive back blockers and breakthrough double teams, but also the lateral agility to be effective on stunts and twists
- Excellent run defender already
Cons
- His ability as a pass rusher still isn’t quite where you want it despite plenty of flashes
- Overall technique and pass rush moves need to be developed
- Has a solid base with his hand technique but does need to evolve there
- Will need to work on his conditioning as later in games or on long drives, he gets visibly fatigued
- His get-off is fine when two-gapping but will need to be a tick faster if he gets put into a one-gapping scheme
- Coaches will need to harness his power and athleticism to reach his potential on the football field
Overview
McNeill checked in at No. 32 on Bruce Feldman’s 50 Freaks List, and for good reason. He is a rare athlete at his size and it hasn’t even been fully tapped into yet. There is a lot of technical work to be done with his base and arsenal as a pass rusher, but he has plenty of flashes to give hope for more.
Fit with Broncos
McNeill's hand fighting and technique are where he really excels as a football player at the moment. While he might be an inside-run defender early, there is potential for a lot more from McNeill. He just needs the right coaches to bring it out, like, say, Broncos' venerated D-line coach Bill Kollar.
Grade: Round 2
Where he Goes: Round 3
Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
