One of many impactful injuries the Lions suffered on defense in 2024 was Alim McNeill‘s ACL tear. The fifth-year defensive tackle continues to recover, and his latest update on his status is a positive one. 
“The way we’re trending now, yeah, we’re definitely ahead of schedule,” McNeill said when addressing his rehab process (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “I don’t know timeline-wise, I have no clue. Like a date-wise, I would never say. But I’m feeling really good.”
Earlier this summer, late October or early November was floated as a rough point for McNiell to be back in the fold. The 25-year-old’s injury occurred in December, leading to surgery (which he noted also included a meniscal repair). No setbacks have taken place, though, leading to an encouraging adjustment to the projected return date in this case. General manager Brad Holmes said earlier this summer McNiell could be available earlier than first expected.
If that proves to be the case, Detroit’s defensive line will receive a major boost sometime in the fall. Levi Onwuzurike re-signed on a one-year pact but his ACL tear from last month will sideline him for the entire season. That will leave the Lions without a key presence at the defensive tackle spot and presumably lead to a heavy early workload for first-round rookie Tyleik Williams. D.J. Reader remains in place, but getting McNeill (who is on the books through 2028 thanks to his lucrative extension signed last offseason) back relatively quickly will be welcomed.
In other Lions injury news, defensive end Josh Paschal is not on the verge of returning to game action. Head coach Dan Campbell said (via Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network) Paschal is unlikely to be activated from the non-football injury list in the near future. With roster cuts looming, decisions on injured players and their return designations will need to be made soon. If Paschal remains on the NFI list to begin the campaign, he will be forced to miss at least Detroit’s first four games.
The 25-year-old is entering the final season of his rookie contract, an after handling a snap share of 61% in 2024 Paschal will be expected to remain a key figure on the D-line when healthy. He has only five sacks to his name but a strong showing this year could result in a notable free agent market. For now, though, attention will remain focused on the recovery process.
Clowney could help this team as well but we will see if ZD Smith comes back …