2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Devin Neal

Last Updated: 8/31/2024

Career Stats

Summary

Devin Neal had a hyperefficient sophomore campaign, producing over 1,200 scrimmage yards for the Jayhawks. He was top 10 in the Big 12 with 1,090 rushing yards, 9 rushing touchdowns, 1,273 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns. He continued his ascension as a junior, amassing career highs with 203 carries, 1,280 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns (second in the Big 12), making he decision to return a questionable one.

Neal is a sudden athlete, displaying a quick first step out of his breaks and quick deceleration into them. This quickness can be seen throughout his game and shows up best when he plants his foot in the ground and gets north and south. We also see it in the open field as he quickly changes directions easily. I wouldn’t say he is overly elusive, but he understands how to use the defender’s leverage and attack angle against them often making them look silly in one-on-one situations. His best trait may be his speed though, once in the open field he has the burners to score from anywhere on the field and pairs it with an above-average acceleration that pops on tape. This is what makes him good in the perimeter zone game. He does have some inconsistent vision but manages to find the hole more often than not.

Neal does leave us wanting more when it comes to the physical side of the game. He doesn’t shy away from contact and often has a good pad level at the point of contact, but at times he lacks some pop behind his pads. He often stumbles off contact and even succumbs to minor contact, which is less than ideal when running between the tackles, but we saw this improve some in his junior year.

With 53 career receptions, Neal isn’t a prolific pass catcher, but he is no slouch either. Kansas doesn’t ask him to do a ton in this area, but when they do he excels. He has soft hands and transitions well from a receiver to a runner. He will need to improve as a blocker like most young running backs, but if so, he could develop into an effective third-down back.

Strengths

• Top end speed
• Explosive athlete
• Sudden

Weakness

• Power running
• Contact balance
• Vision

Honors and Awards

• Second Team All-Big 12 (2023)
• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (RB, OPoY) (Coaches) (2022)
• Athlon Sports Second Preseason Team All-Big 12 (2022)
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team (2022)
• Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidate (2022)
• Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (2021)

Athletic Testing

• 40-yard dash: TBD
• Vertical: TBD
• Broad Jump: TBD
• Three-cone: TBD
• Shuttle: TBD
• Bench: TBD

NFL Role Prediction

Devin Neal feels like a player who will start his career as the “lighting” complement in a committee but could develop into a three-down player at some point in his career.

Scheme Fit

Perimeter/Interior Zone

Fantasy Outlook

Devin Neal is going to be a volatile asset for our fantasy teams at the NFL level, his touches will be limited giving him a very low floor. On the flip side, he could be a hyper-efficient player who could take any touch to the house which could produce a solid fantasy output weekly. If he becomes an every-down contributor at the NFL level, he could develop into a very high-ceiling type asset.

Player Comparisons

• Elijah Mitchell
• Khalil Herbert
• Jerome Ford

Injury Report

Film Room