NFL Draft Offensive Underdog: Kansas Running Back Devin Neal

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GREEN BAY- There are several great under-the-radar offensive playmakers to pay attention to in the 2025 NFL draft class. One such intriguing prospect is Kansas Jayhawks’ home run threat of running back Devin Neal.

What makes Neal such a special, unique playmaker? Usually, with running backs, you either get a mostly elusive or a mostly powerful running back. That’s not what you get with Neal. He is a rare gem who is both an elusive and powerful running back all in one. Neal would normally be an early second-round running back without any questions asked, but this year’s class at running back is exceptional.

The game film shows scouts and general managers a special running back who demonstrates patience in letting blocks develop in front of him. He won’t recklessly run through a lane that doesn’t exist. Ball-carrying patience is a virtue at the next level, and it’s nice to see a running back who understands that early.

Neal is also impressive in that he can stop on a dime when letting his blocks develop, then can suddenly accelerate without losing too much momentum. He has breakaway speed and exceptional cutting ability.

While Neal may need to improve somewhat at trucking through defenders, his ability to break tackles and keep on running is exceptional. He looks like an offensive weapon capable of taking a small run and still getting first downs at an efficient rate. Just when a defense thinks the play is over, Neal shows unrelenting agility and will to never settle for a small gain. He wants touchdowns every time he touches the ball. His enthusiasm will get teammates hyped up at the next level, and he demonstrates that he can be a featured playmaker capable of making any offense several times better. Teams that direly need depth at running back need to watch Neal’s game film.

Although some may question the level of competition to some degree, his skills and stats are undeniable. Last season, Beal ran for 1,266 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also demonstrated versatility with 24 receptions for 254 yards and one touchdown.

Neal looks like a more powerful version of New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara. His ability to wiggle through traffic and juke defenders out of their shoes is out of this world. Neal is one of the best dark-horse running backs anyone will ever see. He doesn’t get the same hype as Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins, or Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo, but he is definitely worth keeping eyes on.