FYI they both played NT in college but won’t in the pros.
Levi will likely play a 3tech / DE role.
McNeil will likely be a NT / 1T / 5T.
That’s my guess
I do, it’s like saying we drafted 2 LB’s when one is a Mike and one is a Will , they are two very different skillsets and positions.
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And often interchangeable as well.
So are OT’s and OG’s, so maybe we just drafted PS to play Guard.
Correct. The title to the thread should have been “won’t play the same position”. I had just read a draft grade of F for Alim because we had drafted a DT in the 2nd round too.
I know the pundits have to make snap judgements because a draft grade on May 15 won’t sell, and I won’t be looking at them then, except maybe to buttress whatever my current delusion is. 
Yeah, I do think Hand would be the most talented option to be that guy. Strong is more that guy than Williams IMO. But I get not wanting to wait on a healthy season from Hand. I think it’s going to come down to whether they want an extra big man, or an extra interior disrupter. From what they’ve said, they like the pass rush, but they could have gone Onwuzurike and Nixon. Instead they got the biggin. I think Penisini is better at being a NT than Williams is at being a 3t. If it ends up coming down to those two guys. Not to mention that Penisini and Hand are probably cheaper than Williams.
The difference Snags is these guys played the same exact role in college.
If you draft two OT’s, OLBers, WR’s, etc that played the same roll in college then it safe to say you drafted two guys who played the same roll. It doesn’t matter if you plan to use one OT as a guard. One OLB as an ILB and one WR as a slot WR.
We drafted two DT’s … they are interchangeable… I think it’s safe to say their both DT’s.
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Kinda disagree in a sense. Although he played the 0 quite a bit I think that would be a pretty big mistake to put him there in the NFL. I think Levi is a 1 gap penetrator at the next level and i think he can be elite there. Had Washington been smarter and just primarily used Levi as a 3 tech and not used him out of position at the nose then he most likely wouldn’t have made it out of the first round. When they played him over the guard he was constantly wreaking havoc in the backfield and also breaking double teams. I have to believe Holmes must of seen the same thing which is why he was trying to move up to get him.
Alim, while i believe he has versatility, is a highly athletic 0 and 1 gap. I think he’s a nose that can also get after the qb and break double teams. Dude can improve his pass rush for sure as well I just think his best fit is at the 0, 1, or 5 tech. Also think Levi can play the 5 as well and do it well.
Both have different skillsets, but both can create havoc and wreck the line. You can definitely see what the Lions were going for though and I love it.
I said the same thing in my first post using fewer words… lol
But the facts are that their both DT’s who both played NT in college. So I think it’s perfectly fine for posters to call them both a DT… because they are … That’s my point.
What we did was get a 3t that is strong enough to occasionally 2 gap. Then we got a NT that can occasionally give you some pass rush. But both of them, according to Motor City Dan, will be used based on what they do well. I think Brockers is a bridge glue guy that will play well and help develop these two rooks and then eventually they will be our version of the Williams Wall.
And i understand that to a certain degree. I think what Snags was trying to say and nail home is that you see guys who played OT in college, but then drafted to play OG in the pros and they’ll list them as an OG even though they’ve never played OG in there life, BUT there skillset dictates the position.
Levi played nose tackle, but that’s not what he is. He’s not a true nose he just happened to play there. So I guess what I’m getting at is that specifics matter. If a pundit complains “they just drafted two DTs in a row what are they doing?” and don’t talk about the differing skillsets that’s where i get irritated with them. I guess it’s not so much that they’re labeled DTs because they are, its the distinguishing the skillsets. I mean you and me know, but some pundits just like to put them together.
They really asked L.O. to do the impossible. To be a 2 gap penetrator at sub 290. He wasn’t just asked to hold the point. They wanted him to hold the point until it was figured out that it was a pass play, then he was supposed to pick a hole and win. There is some projection here, and some polish to be coached. But what a piece of clay to work with. This guy is stoked…
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Why did the Lions draft interior DL back to back? Answer here:
Push it real good
We’ve talked about this more than a few times the past couple of years, but one of Detroit’s primary defensive deficiencies has been interior pressure.
You can talk about the lack of sacks all you want, but it’s pressure up the middle that truly affects the offense by making quarterback uncomfortable. And, if you’re moving opposing QBs off their spots with an interior push, it’s going to naturally led to more sacks when they drift into those outside rush lanes.
Just to put some context to Detroit’s struggles in this area, in 2020, the team’s defensive tackles combined for 39 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Holmes is coming from a place where All-Pro Aaron Donald had 105 last year, breaking the century mark for the third time in four seasons.
To address the issue, the Lions traded for Michael Brockers (66 pressures the past two seasons) and drafted Onwuzurike and McNeill. Remember that aforementioned athleticism both possess? That means they’re quick and explosive, both offering legitimate ability to disrupt the pocket.
In 2019, Onwuzurike had 31 pressures in 12 games. McNeill, a 320-pound nose tackle, only had 12 in 11 appearances while fending off a steady diet of double teams, but nine sacks the previous two seasons highlight his ability to get into the backfield.
“Having interior pass rush, that was something that we were looking to add,” Holmes told me after the draft. “I do think that these guys do bring that and that’s just a bonus. That’s what I think the beauty is about both of these kids is that not only are they powerful and strong at the point of attack, but they do have that upside to catch an edge and get up field. You know, just like you brought up a great point about bringing pressure from the edge, but if you can apply that pressure even quicker on the interior inside, then you can even have more of an impact defensively.”
Justin Rogers–Detroit News
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Weird take.
And regarding OL comparisons, there are 3 to choose from, OT, G and C. You may know one is going to be the LOT, but we still say we drafted an OT. Same on the DL, except it’s DT or DE. You may say one will be a 3rd down specialist or one a plugger or whatever, but the interior guys are DTs and the outside are DEs. (Unless they’re OLBs, but we probably don’t want to go there.)
And just to be clear, we all agree on how these two players are going to be used. That is not disputed at all.
If you read the reports on Nixon and compare that to who we did take, you kind of recognize the thing lacking in Nixon’s game is strength. He has that excellent get-off but then what?
Arif Hasan, but vaccinated
@ArifHasanNFL–covers Vikings for the Athletic
Figuring out Daviyon Nixon’s slide
For arguments sake, had we drafted another OT that projects to be a OG in the NFL, did we really draft two OT’s?
And BTW, I wanna change my stance on this, I don’t really care one way or the other to be honest.
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And for the record, there’s a few positions that guys have the same position name but do different things. Tight End, WR, DT, LB’s, Safeties, CB, etc…but in the end, Alim and Levi are both DT’s.
You answered that yourself.