Measurables
UNIVERSITY- Alabama AGE- CLASS- JR
HEIGHT- 6’6” WEIGHT- 350 ARM LENGTH-
40 Time- 3 CONE- VERTICAL- BROAD JUMP- BENCH PRESS-
Overview
Coming out of high school at IMG Academy in Florida Evan Neal was recognized as one of the top recruits in the country. In 2019, Neal was able to step into Alabama and start in all 13 games at multiple positions on the offensive line, primarily at guard. He earned freshman All-America honors by multiple publications. In 2020, Neal started 13 games at right tackle, helping Bama win a National Title. In 2021, Neal was named a team captain as he started 15 games at the left tackle position. He earned consensus First-Team All-America honors and was named a semifinalist for both the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award.
Strengths
Getting around Evan Neal is like breaking through a force field. His size is just a lot to overcome for most pass rushers. Neal flashes an explosive first step to drop back into his pass set. This allows him to set himself as a difficult guy to run an arc around because of his large frame. Once he gets his hands on guys, all momentum is stopped. His length is his best trait and he uses it to his advantage by never really letting edge defenders get into his body. Neal consistently shows elite-level processing ability from multiple standpoints. Whether it be switching off twist stunt rushers, picking up free blitzers, or helping out other members of the offensive line when his rusher drops into coverage. These didn’t even seem like something he had to think about, they were just second nature to him and he showed excellent execution. Would you like to run the ball? I suggest running behind Neal. He’s straight-up moving people out of the hole. Neal shows the ability to finish people in the run game consistently. As you may expect he isn’t the best athlete but I felt he showed good contact balance. He can move a little bit out in space as a run blocker. Neal also showed the ability to break off onto the second level of the defense at times. His balance particularly shined in the pass game, where his technique was fantastic. From what I saw I would just draft him in the top 5 and watch him thrive protecting my QBs blindside for multiple seasons, perhaps as he gets older he will transition to guard.
Weaknesses/Room for Improvement
Neal being so dang big is one of his best attributes but it obviously comes with some cons. Most of which being he isn’t going to be one of those uber athletic OTs. Neal has an explosive first step off the ball but he lacks elite lateral quickness for the position. He uses his wide frame to take massive strides in pass sets. Sometimes you’ll see him oversell his drop which leaves him open for counter moves inside. With his lack of quickness this could cause him to lose in those situations. The fact of the matter is anyone will struggle with speed rushers in today’s NFL at times. This isn’t something he struggled with at college at all. However, I’m interested to see how he’s able to match-up with guys who can match his strength. In the pass sets that he lost, it was due to him losing the leverage/hand fighting battle. As a run defender the primary struggle he showed was getting over-extended when he made contact with defenders. This gave defenders a leverage advantage over him and allowed them the opportunity to disengage. Blocking on the move wasn’t Neal’s strong suit.
Scheme Fit
Power Run Scheme and i’m fine keeping him at LT but he can play RT as well
Round Grade
Elite First Round Talent