Kansas running back Devin Neal, fresh off a productive, consistent career, heads into the 2025 NFL Draft as a dual-threat option with a safe floor.
The Kansas native chose to stay home as the highest-ranked RB prospect in the state, and he parlayed that decision into being the school’s all-time leading rusher.
Height: 5-foot-10 3/4
Weight: 213 pounds
40 time: 4.58 seconds
Not only did Neal accomplish said feat, he also racked up the most rushing touchdowns and offensive yardage in the program’s history. The 2023 All-Big 12 second-teamer earned honorable mentions for the all-conference squad in his other three seasons as a Jayhawk.
Table: RB Devin Neal, Kansas (2021-24)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
Pros
- Compact, well-built frame allows him to take punishment and muscle through contact
- Maintains lane discipline and displays a knack for slipping through tight creases
- Contact balance is one of his better traits
- Straight-line, short-area acceleration is above average
- Offers three-down utility at the next level
- Respectable hands in the passing game and high-level ball security
- Solid pass protector with room for growth toward being elite
- Consistently productive and has a nose for the end zone
- Fits multiple schemes in the NFL
Cons
- A lot of mileage for a guy turning 22 in August — 837 offensive touches in college
- Lacks top-end speed to break away
- While lane discipline has its perks, the lack of creativity is glaring
- Short-area burst is hindered by sluggish angular burst
- Low-upside career trajectory — probably already have seen the best he has to offer
- Limited route experience
Fantasy football outlook
Given the nature of how the NFL utilizes the position these days, projecting where a running back will wind up in the draft is close to a fool’s errand. That’s even more so the case with versatile backs, like Neal, which makes projecting his predraft fantasy worth a total crapshoot.
An NFL comparison in the best-case scenario is David Montgomery. A more moderate view is somewhere between Devin Singletary and Khalil Herbert, a fellow former Kansas back. Rico Dowdle might be the best comparison for both size and playing style.
At his best, Neal profiles as a weekly RB2 with the occasional No. 1 showing. As a probable a Day 3 pick, near-term expectations should be tempered.
