NC State junior defensive tackle Alim McNeill has been named first-team All-American by Pro Football Focus. The teams are selected strictly on film and game grades.
Here is PFF's release on all the teams: LINK.
INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINE
First-Team: Alim McNeil, NC State
McNeil played 87% of his total snaps at heads-up nose tackle this year, making his production nothing short of incredible. Only one player since 2014 has produced a higher PFF grade at zero-technique than McNeil’s 90.5 this season (former Mississippi State Bulldog and current Tennessee Titan Jeffery Simmons in 2017).
McNeil won 10% of his pass-rush snaps at nose tackle, an impressive figure in its own right, but the reason for his success is all due to his run defense. He was a constant disruptor and fully deserved the 92.1 run-defense grade on the year.
