By Mason Markoff

This year's NFL draft has many talented players, one in particular being left tackle Evan Neal out of Alabama. Neal is a five-star recruit from IMG Academy, coming in at 6’7” and 360 pounds. This past year, he transitioned from right tackle to left tackle and is projected to be a top-five pick, with others saying even top three. Although some have been quick to point out Neal’s downsides, like balance and over-aggression, his skill in both the run and passing game may override whatever shortcomings exist.

“While there are a handful of teams that would love to add Neal to their roster, he will most likely go off the board instantaneously. Due to the limit on how far Neal could really fall, his best suitors would include the Jaguars, Texans, Giants, and Panthers,” said a sophomore at Fair Lawn High School.

As a run-blocker, Neal has made a major impact on the NCAA. He uses his weight to overpower his defenders and create gaps for runners to punch through. Many scouts have witnessed him overwhelm defenders on double teams and seal them off. Neal also has good agility and is a great pull and lead blocker. He finishes his blocks and creates big lanes off the pull as the lead blocker.

“As a run-blocker, Neal plays with tremendous pad level, play strength and quickness to fit, drive, and overwhelm defenders on down, double-team and cut-off blocks,” said the Bleacher Report NFL Scouting Department.   

The greatest criticism levied at Neal thus far has been about his speed, something he’ll need to work on if he wants to be counted among the elite. His feet tend to get stuck, which allows defenders to run past him into the backfield. By extension, his balance is also concerning. Issues with balance have allowed him to be easily thrown off, opening a free lane to the backfield.

“A lot of Neal’s flaws and faults come as a result of overaggressiveness and being too eager prior to the initiation of blocks at the point of attack. Even though he contains a long wind-up and lots of strength behind his hands, his load up can be seen coming from a mile away from the opposition,” said Jordan Reid of The Draft Network and ESPN.

However, Neal’s pass-blocking helps to compensate for issues regarding speed and agility. He has an explosive initial pass set that allows him to gain leverage on defenders quickly. He likes to have a wide base and set-up so he cannot be run right through.

“He varies his pass sets, occasionally jumping/attacking edge rushers and eliminating their runway. When Neal takes a traditional set, he can bend and redirect before landing his punch. Once he locks in, the play is usually over,” said NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah.

One other element Neal seems to struggle with is football IQ. He has struggled to identify blitzers and defenders, resulting in untouched blitzers to the quarterback. This may be a result of switching from RT to LT and not knowing the protection principles that all LT’s must do, so the jury is still out on how much of a true obstacle this may prove to be long-term.

“Even with a move to the left side of the line, it might take only a little adjusting due to his immense size. He presents an immediate threat and while I do not feel he would be moved back to the position, he would most likely have the same effect at left tackle,” said an FLHS sophomore.

Most speculate that Evan Neal has a lot of potential to be a great piece of any NFL team’s offensive line. He can dominate in both the run and pass game, and would be a boost to many struggling franchises. Look for him to go early in this year's draft, as he has a lot of skill to showcase in the NFL.

“In mock drafts from various publications and outlets, Neal is not just top-10, but in most cases top-five and sometimes in the top-three,” said AJ Spurr of the Roll Tide Wire.

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