Julian Neal CB Arkansas |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #23 ROLE: Outside Man/Press CB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.49 seconds (52%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #23 | |
| ROLE: Outside Man/Press CB | |
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.49 seconds (52%*) | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
| Overall Rating: | 84.5 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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76% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 72.7 | |
| Tackling: |
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89% |
| Run Defense: |
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91% |
| Coverage: |
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80% |
| Zone: |
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76% |
| Man/Press: |
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81% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#116
Position rank:
#27 (DB)
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| College Games: 36 College Snaps: 1447 | ||
ESPN RATING: 73/100
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247 RATING: 84/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.4 (89%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Julius Brents - Kansas State |
|
91% |
| Khyree Jackson - Oregon |
|
86% |
| Martin Emerson - Mississippi State |
|
85% |
Drafted: ROUND: 3 - Pick Number: 99 (SEA)
Draft Profile: Bio
San Francisco's Mission District doesn't produce many Division I football prospects, but Neal was a multi-sport standout at Mission High School who earned All-City honors in both football and basketball while playing receiver, defensive end, and defensive back. The recruiting attention never matched the production: he held a three-star rating from ESPN and 247Sports, two stars from Rivals, and his best offers came from Eastern Washington and San Jose State.He signed with Fresno State and redshirted as a freshman in 2021. Neal barely played in 2022 and logged just 116 defensive snaps across 11 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, recording nine tackles. The 2024 season changed his trajectory. He appeared in all 12 games with four starts, finishing with 35 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions, and six pass breakups. After briefly committing to Stanford through the transfer portal, he wound up at Arkansas instead.
The move to Fayetteville brought career-best numbers. Neal started all 12 games as a redshirt senior, posting 55 tackles, two interceptions, and ten pass breakups. His 11-tackle, one-interception, two-PBU outing against Arkansas State made him just the third Razorback defensive back since 1997 to hit that statistical combination in a single game.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Ideal boundary corner frame with long arms that contest throws at the high point.
- Run defense is the calling card; fills gaps and takes on blocks willingly.
- Tackling improved sharply in 2025, finishing through contact with few misses.
- Reads the quarterback's eyes well in zone and jumps routes with good timing.
- Length squeezes throwing windows and forces contested catches underneath.
- Tested as an above-average athlete vertically, and the explosiveness shows on tape.
- Lined up at corner, in the slot, and in the box at Arkansas, giving coordinators options.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Long speed is average, and it shows when isolated on vertical routes.
- Hips get tight in transitions, opening windows on double moves and comebacks.
- Three-cone time confirms the change-of-direction stiffness visible on film.
- Press technique is inconsistent; gives up clean releases too often at the line.
- Bites on play-action and loses his receiver when his eyes drift to the backfield.
- Allowed a higher completion rate in SEC play despite solid overall coverage marks.
Scouting Report: Summary
Neal's best football is going to come in a defense that plays a lot of zone. His zone coverage marks are noticeably stronger than his man numbers, and the tape backs it up. When the field is divided and he can read the quarterback's eyes within his landmark, his length and instincts show up. He sits in windows, drives on throws, and trusts his arms to close the deal at the catch point. In man assignments, the average recovery speed becomes a problem against quicker receivers who can stack him vertically. That gap in his coverage profile needs to be accounted for at the next level.What makes Neal different from most corners in this class is his run support. He fills the alley, sheds perimeter blocks, and tackles with a physicality that most defensive backs just do not bring. His missed tackle rate dropped significantly from his Fresno State days to his Arkansas tape, and that improvement suggests a player still on an upward curve. Combined with his willingness to play in the box and on the line in sub-packages, he has early-down and short-yardage value from day one.
The realistic outlook is a rotational piece and special teams contributor early in his career, with the ceiling of a quality starter if the press technique and hip fluidity come along. He needs a coaching staff willing to invest in his development at the line of scrimmage. The physical tools and run-game toughness give him a floor, and the zone coverage ability keeps him on the field. How far he goes depends on whether the technical refinements catch up to the traits.
Julian Neal percentiles vs other Cornerbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Julian Neal (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
104.6
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
32.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.