Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
Size:
Height: 5111
Weight: 213
Arm: 29 ⅝”
Hand: 8 ½”
Accomplishments:
Second-Team All-Big 12 (2023) • Doak Walker Award Candidate (2023)
“Devin Neal is a talented running back who has a versatile skill set to make people miss in space and also run through defenders with power.”
Strengths:
Run-scheme versatility
Acceleration and deceleration
Vision and quick processing
Missed tackler generator
Prototype frame
Concerns:
Long speed/top-end speed
Consistently run with power in short-yardage situations
Pass protection
Film Analysis:
Devin Neal enters the 2025 NFL Draft and leaves Kansas as their all-time leading rusher in yards, touchdowns, and most 100-yard games in a career. He finished as one of the best players to ever play for the Kansas Jaywalk program. Throughout his years at Kansas, Neal has been the engine for one of the most high-powered offenses over the years. Neal's impact is felt both in the running game and his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Neal is an instinctual runner who has a knack for forcing broken tackles whether that’s running with power or making defenders miss in space. Neal is a patient, quick-footed runner who excels in zone concepts but can effectively operate within the confines of a gap scheme. Neal enters the draft as one the most productive running backs in the country, stringing together 1,000-yard rushing seasons in three consecutive years.
Neal presses the line of scrimmage with good patience, letting his OL set up their blocks. He thrives attacking the defense at his own pace. Neal is a space navigator, sifting and cutting through the first and second levels of the defense to spring into the open field. He has the vision to find multiple alleys and entryways to daylight. Neal runs very well in zone concepts. He identifies how secure or vulnerable the edges are and decides to bend, bang, or bounce. He is adept at reading numerous moving parts simultaneously as he presses the intended gap. Neal reads the post-snap movement of both first and second-level defenders and adjusts his path accordingly. He has efficient and bouncy feet to plant and cut into a void in the defense. As a one-cut runner, Neal has quick footwork to spring him upfield when a cutback lane opens up.
He has good contact balance to stay on his feet after initial hits. Neal is an elusive runner who forces missed tackles in multiple ways. He advanced in manipulating defenses with his ability to accelerate and decelerate, setting up nearby defenders to stop their momentum before gearing past them. Altering his speeds allows Neal to cut back across the face of defenders with sudden cuts to generate bigger plays. Neal possesses the foot quickness to change directions and win in a phone booth/tight spaces.
Neal is a playmaker in space with more upside as a receiving threat. Right now, he is used as a safety valve on screens, swings, and flat routes but his ability with the football in his hands is exciting. He is a talented space player with a great feel for nearby defenders.
Neal's concerns as a player are twofold. First is his ability to consistently utilize his frame and run with power. He does run hard but a level of power is missing from his game at moments. This appears to be a decision made by Neal to try and be elusive in situations where he can simply win them by running with power. Neal has a good frame that lends itself to being a short-yardage, in-between-the-tackles runner for NFL teams and this efficiency is more of a mentality issue. The other area of concern appears to be his top-end speed and his ability to sustain that. Neal is a quick accelerator but there is a question in the open field of what his top-end speed is and if can he sustain it to finish big run opportunities with touchdowns instead of being caught by defenders.
Neal projects as a scheme-versatile, productive running back for NFL offenses who in the right situation can carry the load for an offense as a three-down back.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Exposures: TCU (2024), Arizona State (2024), Baylor (2024), Colorado (2024), Illinois (2023), Missouri State (2023), Iowa State (2023), BYU (2023), Nevada (2023), Texas (2023)
