With the unplanned retirement of John Penisini, the Detroit Lions now have a hole at nose tackle. The starting role is in very good hands with Alim McNeill, who is coming off an all-rookie team debut and looks like a player capable of earning Pro Bowl recognition sooner than later.
But after McNeill, the Lions are light — quite literally.
McNeill is 6-2 and 330 pounds, though he wears that weight quite well. He is the only defensive lineman on the roster listed at more than 297 pounds. While the emphasis on being more aggressive and attacking favors lighter linemen, there are times when the defense will require an “immovable object” type of presence in the middle of the line. That was Penisini’s (6-2/335) niche.
