2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Devin Neal

Last Updated: 10/3/2023

Devin Neal had a hyperefficient sophomore campaign producing over 1,200 scrimmage yards for the Jayhawks. He was top 10 in the Big 12 in rushing yards (1090), rushing touchdowns (9), yards from scrimmage (1273) and touchdowns from scrimmage (10). 

Neal is a sudden athlete who displays 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 can change directions at full speed easily. Now, 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 he lacks some pop behind his pads at times. He often stumbles off contact and even succumbs to minor contact which is less than ideal when he is asked to run between the tackles. 

With 35 career receptions, I wouldn’t say Neal is 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. 

• Top end speed
• Explosive athlete 
• Sudden                 

• Power running 
• Contact balance 
• Vision 

• Preseason All-Big 12 First Team (Big 12, Athlon, Phil Steele)(2023)
• Maxwell Award Watch List (2023)
• Doak Walker Award Candidate (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)

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

• 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. 

• Perimeter Zone

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. 

As a college fantasy asset, he is a solid running back to have on the roster. He is not in the top tier. but he will be relied on weekly by the Jayhawks and likely your team. He should produce an abundance of weekly points as a result.