Kelvin Sheppard has spent plenty of time challenging Alim McNeill. On Thursday, the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator sounded considerably more interested in appreciating what his veteran defensive tackle endured.

Speaking ahead of Detroit’s Week 1 matchup against New Orleans, Sheppard reflected on McNeill’s difficult 2025 season and how much different No. 54 should look now that he is further removed from ACL surgery.

“It’s almost emotional” talking about Alim McNeill, Sheppard said Thursday, according to Will Burchfield. “Because I know what he wanted to be last year, and lot of that tape he couldn’t even put his foot in the ground and plant. But he was still out there for his brothers. Sept. 13, I cannot wait to see No. 54.”

That provides important context for a season in which McNeill’s final statistics never told the entire story.

McNeill Was Playing Before He Was Fully Himself

McNeill tore his ACL late in the 2024 season and did not return until Week 7 of 2025. He eventually played 10 games, producing 14 tackles, one sack and 23 pressures. Those numbers were well below his pre-injury production, but the Lions now acknowledge there were physical limitations behind the decline.

McNeill explained during OTAs that there was a “night and day” difference in how his body felt this offseason. Detroit’s official offseason update also noted that McNeill struggled last year with the strength and confidence required to plant effectively on his repaired leg.

That makes Sheppard’s comments more than sentimental praise. They explain why Detroit believes the player it saw in 2025 was not the version it expects in 2026.

Detroit Has Already Seen the Difference

The early evidence has been encouraging.

McNeill produced several disruptive moments during training camp, including consecutive plays in which he penetrated the backfield during an August practice. Detroit’s staff said he looked much closer to the explosive interior defender he was before the knee injury, and the organization rewarded his standing in the locker room when McNeill was named a first-time team captain.

The Lions’ own captain announcement described McNeill as having a “terrific training camp” while looking explosive again.

That is significant because McNeill enters this season with real expectations attached to him. After his diminished 2025 production, he even landed on one national writer’s “overpaid” list, a label that placed additional scrutiny on his 2026 season.

Sheppard Is Expecting a Different No. 54

Detroit does not need McNeill merely to improve his sack total.

A healthy McNeill gives the Lions an interior defender capable of collapsing the pocket and forcing quarterbacks away from comfortable throwing lanes. That becomes even more valuable with Aidan Hutchinson demanding attention off the edge and Tyleik Williams entering his second season inside.

The Lions open against New Orleans on Sept. 13 at Ford Field, the exact date Sheppard referenced when looking ahead to McNeill’s return to regular-season football. Detroit’s 2026 schedule confirms the Saints matchup as the season opener.

Sheppard knows what McNeill looked like when his body would not cooperate last season.

His reaction Thursday suggests he expects something very different Sunday.