Dynasty Football Factory’s 2025 NFL Draft Coverage: Devin Neal

Devin Neal | Kansas                      5’11 / 213 lbs.                      August 12, 2003 (21)

Devin Neal was drafted by the New Orleans Saints, becoming the 17th running back and 184th overall player in the 2025 NFL Draft.

COLLEGE PRODUCTION

Neal was a 4-year starter at Kansas and is the greatest running back in program history, holding team records in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, 100-yard games, and more. He has a unique analytic profile, as many models dislike undersized backs with a 4th college season and with low receiving efficiency, but he also was an efficient runner for 4 straight years and developed a strong nose for the end-zone by the last two years of his career, combining for 34 touchdowns over his junior and senior season. Neal also managed decent target shares and clearly can be a factor in the receiving game. As a whole, Neal’s profile indicates the potential to take on a full workload as a lead back, with value currently as a well-rounded 3rd down back with high rushing upside. 

FILM

Neal’s tape is about as fun as any back in this class. His light-footed, patient, and sudden style leads to plenty of nasty jukes on tape. Neal possesses decent breakaway speed, but his real strength is in short-area quickness, where he is one of the best in his class at making defenders miss in a phone booth. Neal has great vision and decent power, running with a fall-forward mindset and finding creative lanes especially cutting upfield in situations where many backs tend to bounce outside. Overall, Neal is a balanced, nuanced back, with 3-down capabilities. He projects as an immediate role contributor who I firmly believe could win a starting job if given a chance to prove himself against NFL competition. 

ATHLETIC TESTING

Neal had a modest day at the combine, running a 4.58 40-yard dash but managing to earn a respectable 8.43 RAS, placing him right around the 84th percentile of RB athletes. Neal’s athletic testing lines up with what we saw on tape, so it’s not overly concerning that he didn’t blaze at the 40 or come in at a dominant playing weight, and it is reassuring to see his explosiveness translate in 89th percentile explosion grades.

DRAFT ANALYSIS 

Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Poor

Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Average

Neal dropping to the 6th round was a pretty significant surprise to me. I didn’t necessarily expect day 2 draft capital, but slipping through the 4th and 5th was disappointing. Nevertheless, it’s not a total death sentence, as guys like Bucky Irving prove every so often; but the hit rate for day 3 running backs not just succeeding, but continuing success beyond a rookie season are slim to almost none.

Neal lands in New Orleans where he will backup Alvin Kamara in the waning years of his legendary career. Certainly, Neal has significant upside in the case of injury, but in a more macroscopic view, an opportunity to succeed Kamara similarly to the way Tony Pollard inherited the Cowboys’ starting role from Ezekiel Elliott. Neal needs to stay persistent and improve all facets of his game, and take the opportunities that present himself, and he can certainly find his way towards a role and a career in Kellen Moore’s dynamic offense. 

FANTASY INSIGHTS

Neal is a classic late-round dart throw day 3 RB, and his RB17 draft capital should ensure his availability in the 3rd or 4th round of rookie drafts. I personally will be happy to select him in those ranges depending on the boards, but more importantly this is generally a cheap cost for Neal’s actual upside. Kendre Miller has failed to establish himself as a reliable RB2 for New Orleans but has shown some flashes of success in the league. Neal enters likely as the #3 on the depth chart but can easily rise to the primary backup role and will thus be an injury away from weekly RB1 point-scoring potential. Over time, we’ll see if Neal really translates to the NFL, but there’s a solid chance he finds his way toward some random spike weeks as a rookie that could lead to more consistent production once he becomes a veteran. I like Neal as a late round target in rookie drafts, and he should be fairly cheap for a handcuff with real future starter upside.

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