Predicting Alim McNeill's Contract Extension

What could Alim McNeill's next contract look like?

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill (54) tackles Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions have had a busy offseason, handing out a trio of hefty contract extensions.

By extending Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and Jared Goff, the Lions have their core pillars in place for the next four seasons. However, there are still several other players who could cash in for their performance helping the Lions get to the NFC Championship game last year.

One such player is defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who had a big year last year before suffering a knee injury that likely hindered his chance at making the Pro Bowl. In his third NFL season, he finished with five sacks and six tackles for loss across 13 regular season games.

McNeill also helped himself plenty the previous offseason, as he took on a new workout regimen that allowed him to be more durable as well as more athletic. This in turn led to more opportunities on the field for the N.C. State product.

McNeill is entering the final year of his rookie deal after the Lions made him a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. In his career, he has 112 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks.

The defensive tackle market has taken off as of late, as multiple defenders at the position cashed in with large amounts this past offseason. Chris Jones earned a new contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $31,750,000 to set the new market.

While McNeill may not get Jones' level of money, as Jones is a nine-year veteran with five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro selections to his name, there are other players who recently signed deals that could factor into what the Lions ultimately offer.

Christian Wilkins signed a four-year contract with Las Vegas this offseason worth an AAV of 27.5 million. The former Dolphin has 20.5 career sacks and 355 career tackles across five NFL seasons.

Perhaps the best potential comparison for where McNeill could land is Baltimore's Justin Madubuike. Heading into last season, Madubuike had 8.5 career sacks in his first three NFL campaigns. In that sense, he's very similar to McNeill.

However, Madubuike exploded last year for 13.5 sacks and as a result earned a contract with a $24.5 AAV. If McNeill can get to this level of production, this is a realistic range for him given the market.

Ultimately, McNeill doesn't have any Pro Bowl honors to help drive up his value, but could still earn around $20 million based on career trajectory with a strong 2024 campaign.

If he can put together a season with double digit sacks, he seems to be well in line for a pay day near the top half of the market.

Still, the N.C. State product still has more to prove. At this present juncture, I'll place him somewhere near the middle of the market at three years, $51 million with an AAV of $17 million. That would place him in the upper half of the market, while also being a manageable deal as the Lions still have plenty of moves to make to keep their core intact.