Dan Campbell set the bar low for rookie defensive tackle Alim McNeill before the first padded practice of training camp Tuesday. And like everything McNeill has done in his short time as a Detroit Lion, he cleared it impressively.
"If I'm being totally honest, I expect him to get maybe pushed around a little bit today, because that's the norm," Campbell said before practice. "He doesn't know what he doesn't know, yet."
McNeill has been anything but normal a week into camp.
The powerful nose tackle has taken first-team reps ahead of returning starter John Penisini all summer and was one of most impactful Lions on the practice field Tuesday, when he showed flashes of being a disruptive run defender while battling Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow.