20man: I'm excited to see what Detroit's defensive line looks like when Alim McNeill gets back because they've been playing so well without him. Now they add a Pro Bowl caliber player to the mix with the ability to play both the pass and the run. McNeill and Hutchinson next to each other again will be a lot for an offense to handle.
We'll have to see if this is the week for McNeill or if the team opts to unleash him at home against Tampa Bay on Monday night Week 7 after two full weeks of being a full participant in practice. This is the first week he's been a full participant.
Whenever he gets back, run game coordinator and defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers is going to have a deep, talented and versatile group of defensive tackles to work with. I can't remember them being this deep at DT since I've been covering the team with the likes of McNeill, Tyleik Williams, DJ Reader, Roy Lopez, Pat O'Connor, Tyler Lacy and others.
One thing as it pertains specifically to Williams is the return of McNeill will allow him to play the downs he's most effective at, which is first and second down against the run. It will allow him to stay a little fresher and for Rodgers to mix up his matchups and combinations upfront to give opposing offenses a lot to think about, especially on third down.