Following Devin Neal’s great senior year at Kansas and historic Jayhawks football career overall, he is getting plenty of buzz as a third-to-fourth round NFL Draft pick. Most notably, he has been consistently linked to Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos, which would be a match made in heaven for both parties.
Neal has been the epitome of consistency the last two years in Lawrence, recording 16 rushing touchdowns and 1,250+ yards in both seasons. Meanwhile, the Broncos on the other hand have had one of the weakest running back rooms in the NFL the last two years, in part due to former No. 35 overall pick Javonte Williams struggling following his gruesome knee injury.
The rumors about Neal to Denver began to pop up even prior to the NFL Scouting Combine after the Broncos met with Neal while he was at the Senior Bowl. The rumors gained validity during the combine when the Broncos met with Neal again, seemingly trying to figure out if he has a chance to fill their “joker” role in Payton’s offense.
Vision, ball security, and patience make Neal intriguing for Denver
At the NFL Combine, Neal did not necessarily have the best showing, running a slow 4.58 40-yard dash, but that should not deter the Broncos from selecting him in the third or fourh round. Why is this? Neal’s best traits have nothing to do with speed, and everything to do with having incredible vision, top-tier football IQ, ball security, and prolific play-strength.
While Neal has below-average NFL speed and quickness, the Broncos do not need breakaway speed from their RB-spot. They just need a player who has patience to run behind blocks and an understanding of angles to make use of their top-eight offensive line. Even just solid backfield play is a huge positive for Denver after last season.
The 21-year-old former Jayhawk would be entering enemy territory after being in Chiefs territory for the last four years in Lawrence. Despite this, there are not many other landing spots in the entire league where Neal could find himself as the lead back immediately.
The Broncos have the No. 85 pick in the draft, which feels like the correct range for the KU legend, but only time will tell if Neal truly does join Bo Nix and Co. for the 2025 NFL season.