Packers meet virtually with NC State DL Alim McNeil

The Green Bay Packers are doing their homework on a run-stuffing defensive lineman with a profile similar to Kenny Clark ahead of the 2021 NFL draft.

According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, the Packers have met virtually with North Carolina State defensive lineman Alim McNeil.

GM Brian Gutekunst and the Packers will likely be active in gathering information on defensive line prospects during the draft process. Montravius Adams, Tyler Lancaster, Damon Harrison and Billy Winn are all free agents, and Dean Lowry could be a cap casualty.

Over three collegiate seasons, McNeil produced 17.5 tackles for losses, 10.0 sacks, five pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He also returned an interception for a touchdown.

Pro Football Focus named him an All-American during the 2020 season. In fact, he was the site’s highest-graded interior defender in college football last season, and one of the nation’s top-ranked run defenders overall.

According to his draft profile at The Draft Network, McNeil is a “powerful interior defender” who has created “positive flashes of gap-penetration skills” but has an “underdeveloped” variety and pass-rush plan.

The final line: “For a team in need of a short-yardage and early-down run stuffer that has a ceiling to develop into a more effective pass rusher, McNeill is a terrific mid-round option.”

PFF currently ranks McNeil as the site’s 46th best prospect and No. 2 interior defender in the 2021 NFL draft.

From PFF: “McNeil has the potential to be the holy grail – a nose tackle who can rush the passer. He’s got one of the best first steps in the entire draft class even though he weighs 320 pounds. He earned grades of 80.8 and 77.5 as a pass-rusher the past two seasons – mostly from a true 0-tech alignment.”

The Packers once struck gold with a similar player: Clark, a first-round pick in 2016 who has developed into arguably the game’s best nose tackle.

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