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Detroit Lions Alim McNeill expected to contribute more, maybe even as a fullback

ALLEN PARK — Alim McNeill, Detroit Lions defensive lineman, did not hesitate to answer what he sees for this team starting in September.

“Perfect season. We won the Super Bowl, celebrating here in Detroit in the city, that’s what I see when I close my eyes, when I go to work out, when I go run, when I’m at practice working on different moves,’’ McNeill said on Thursday. “That’s what we are all thinking about, that’s what I’m thinking about. Everybody has the same attitude here, we just want to win. Whatever we can do to win.’’

The Lions are coming off a loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. It’s over, no time for wondering what if. It’s full-speed ahead.

McNeill’s visionary words have to be music to the ears of coach Dan Campbell whose message to the team on the last day of the three-day mandatory minicamp was to remember what they are playing for.

“Each individual, what do you want out of this year? What do you want to look like when we’re sitting here and it’s February? Where is your mind? Think about that and let’s work backward from there, that’s the message,’’ Campbell said.

The coach was asked what he wants: “You know what I want, I want the whole enchilada.’’

McNeill, entering his fourth season, is expected to play a major role on the defensive line, lining up next to veteran D.J. Reader who will be in his first season in Detroit.

“In my head it looks like destruction. There’s no other way I can see it, everytime I close my eyes and visualize I just see destruction,’’ McNeill said. “I’ve been watching D.J. since I was younger.’’

Reader isn’t able to practice due to a injury but is expected to possibly be ready for training camp. Still, he is making a difference. In fact, McNeill said it’s a thousand percent better with him on the sidelines, giving suggestions.

Campbell has big expectations for McNeill.

“Mac has so much ability and the way that he is built and the nimbleness and athleticism and power that he has for the way he is, for the way he’s built. You don’t see that every day,’’ Campbell said. “We still feel like there’s more in there. He really took a big step last year. We feel like there’s more in there.’’

Campbell said Terrell Williams, the new defensive line coach, said he’s always liked McNeill but things they can get even more out of them.

Curiously, they might find a bit of a role on offense for the 6-foot-2, 315-pound lineman.

Campbell has mentioned to the media that McNeill could be an option as a fullback, but he and McNeill have not talked about it.

“It’s nothing firm. I have no clue. I hope it is,’’ said McNeill who didn’t play D-line until college. In high school he was a linebacker and running back. In his senior year he had 20 carries for 63 yards and eight touchdowns. Eight.

Does he miss carrying the ball?

“I still got that, I’ll never lose that,’’ McNeill said.

Stay tuned.

(Up next: Thursday was the last day of spring work for the veterans. They’ll return for the start of training camp. The rookies will practice next week.)

Healthy Detroit Lions DL Levi Onwuzurike adds weight, reaps praise from Dan Campbell

ALLEN PARK — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell hesitates to heap too much praise on any of his guys since they are not wearing pads or as he says it, they’re in pajamas.

Still on Wednesday, the second day of Lions mandatory minicamp, the coach praised defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike using a few words of caution.

“I just want to be careful because we’re not in pads, I want to reiterate that. But Levi is having a really good spring, (Josh) Pachal is too,’’ Campbell said. “But Levi, because of where he’s come from and all he’s had to deal with, this guy he’s continued to rehab, he’s continued to train his body. He’s put on weight because his back can handle it now. He’s having a really good spring.’’

Onwuzurike appreciates the message but he too knows that the real time for evaluation for defensive linemen is when the pads are on.

“I feel like he said there’s no pads so take it with a grain of salt. I’ve done what I worked out in the offseason to do,’’ Onwuzurike said. “I’ve made my place. I think I could’ve done better, 100 percent for sure could’ve done better, but once again we’re not in pads so you can’t really review this.’’

Onwuzurike, the 2021 second-round pick who played 10 regular season and three playoff games in 2023, was coming off missing the whole of 2022 because of a back injury.

“All last year, for the most part, I wasn;t necessarily thinking about it last year but still had limits, you know what I’m saying,’’ Onwuzurike said. “Toward the playoffs is when I really started feeling good.’’

The coaches had asked him to gain weight in the offseason and through a diet heavy on steak, chicken breast and salmon, he did just that. He said he’s about 300 now where last year he played between 280 and 285 pounds.

The difference is his back can handle the extra pounds now.

“It limits you, your back separates your lower body and upper body. The best way I can explain it is that everything is moving together as one. Speed to power, my whole body feels like all one, all together,’’ Onwuzurike said.

He’s adding versatility to his playbook, seeing some time at edge in minicamp.

“You want to take all those opportunities you can, the more you can play, the more spots you can play, the more you’ll get out there,’’ Onwuzurike said. “I played (edge) in high school so I’ve kinda got it in my system.’’

He said he’s getting tip from Aidan Hutchinson, who excels on the edge, and veteran D.J. Reader who mostly plays at nose tackle.

“Whenever (Reader) is on the side and we come off, he gives us little pieces of advice. … Kind of take his word and take it out on the field,’’ Onwuzurike said.

After missing all of his second season in 2022 with that back issue, Onwuzurike is displaying that he’s 100 percent back during this minicamp.

“It’s good to see he’s put on weight which we talked about doing, he’s able to hold that weight, he’s strong, he’s explosive, he’s banking good reps right now,’’ Campbell said.

(Next up: The Lions wrap up the mandatory three-day minicamp on Thursday. Then the veterans will be done until training camp. The rookies are scheduled for practices next week.)

Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson explains why he remains in Detroit despite chances to move up

ALLEN PARK — Ben Johnson, the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, loves to answer football questions. That had to wait on Thursday, the first chance the media had to delve into why he didn’t move on to take an NFL head coaching position in the offseason.

He was the NFL coaching candidate darling — or at least one of them — but instead chose ro return to Detroit for his sixth season, his third as coordinator.

It’s been a voyage and it started in the Arctic, well treacherous waters resembling it.

While on the plane, after the loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship game in January, Johnson said he was thinking about something coach Dan Campbell had said about the team.

“So 2021, and early part of 2022 he had made this analogy to the team about how we were sailing down the ocean and at that moment we were in the Arctic, we were hitting the ice bergs, we had the storms going on. Those were dark days,’’ Johnson said on Thursday.

“He had the foresight, he had the vision of where we were going and where we were heading. He assured us. ‘Guys I see it, I see where we are going. The results haven’t been there yet but the Caribbean is on the horizon. It’s coming up,’’’ he continued.

Johnson, 38, said the story of his career has found him spending a lot of time living in the Arctic. It was the second time he’d been to the playoffs, the first time he’d experienced winning playoff games.

“When it boils down to it, I wanted the sunshine a little bit longer. That’s really what it comes down to. I like the sunshine, I like what we’ve built here starting with the ownership, the head coach, the GM, on down,’’ Johnson said. “We have a great group of guys in the locker room. I want to reap the rewards with them a little longer.”

When he had the opportunity to take the reins of his own team, he didn’t view it as a must at this time. He has no doubt he’s ready but he’s looking long-term. Of the eight head coaching openings this offseason he said there’s a good chance five of them are out of jobs in three years.

“When I look at it from that perspective, if I get the opportunity to go down that road, it’s about how do I get to that second contract? How do I set myself up so that the stars need to align? I’m not going to do it just to do it,’’ Johnson said.

“I love what I’m doing right now. Love it. I love where I’m at, my family loves where we’re at, love the people we’re doing it with and so I’m not willing to go down the other path yet unless I feel really good about how it’s going to unfold,’’ Johnson said.

Campbell said he wasn’t surprised that Johnson chose to stay in Detroit, but he wouldn’t have been shocked if he had left either.

“I think he feels like it’s a good opportunity here and he wants to make the most of it and if something else becomes available it needs to be right, everything needs to be right. I appreciate that about him, not everybody can do that,’’ Campbell said.

“I think it’s a little bit of living in the moment too. I mean I think he enjoys it here, the family enjoys it here with a group of guys he respects and loves to be around — coaches, players — it’s a good vibe right now. Why not live it to the fullest, then the next thing will be the next thing,’’ Campbell added.

Continuity with the coaching staff is key if the Lions are going to continue to find success and they have it with Johnson, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and special teams coordinator Dave Fipp.

“It’s important I put a lot of stock in that, there’s a lot of value. Without my coaches, without my coordinator, none of this thing works,’’ Campbell said on Thursday, prior to the start of the OTA session.