FLOWERY BRANCH – With the draft less than an hour away, the buzz around Florida safety Keanu Neal and the Falcons is getting louder.
Neal was partially recruited by Falcons coach Dan Quinn, before he left Florida to return to Seattle. Neal played special teams as a freshmen in 2013.
Neal said that teams have told him he’s a late first-round or second-round pick. The Falcons are in need of a strong safety after releasing William Moore.
Some have compared Neal’s style of play to Seattle safety Kam Chancellor. Neal also projects well as an back-end enforcer in the cover-three zone scheme that Quinn prefers.
Neal has shot up in the draft process and could be selected with the 17th pick. The Falcons are trying to get in front of Pittsburgh and Carolina, who also covet Neal.
If the Falcons go with Neal, they likely will pick a linebacker in the second round of the draft Saturday.
The Palm Beach Post wrote an article asking: Will Gator safety Keanu Neal be a first-round pick?
Here’s what the draft world has to say about Neal, a 6-foot, 211-pound strong safety, who was the Gators’ third-leading tackler with 96 tackles and he had an interception before deciding to pass on his senior season and enter the draft:
NFL.com – Second round
Mike Mayock – Third best safety in the draft, behind Ohio State's Vonn Bell and West Virginia's Karl Joseph.
AJC.COM – We had him as the fifth rated safety behind Bell, Boise State's Darian Thompson, Joseph and USC's S'ua Cravens.
Jsonline.com – The esteemed Bob McGinn of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has the Falcons taking Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland with the 17th pick. Joseph is only safety he has being taken in the first round. He has Neal as the third rated safety on his top 100 list behind Joseph and Bell.
NFL Draft Preview 2016 – Nolan Nawrocki, a former scout, has Neal with a "second-to-third round" grade. "His cover skills are average. He is a big hitter, and that is what's going to excite (scouts), but I don't think he is a great tackler. He has size, but I don't see him matching athletic ability. I'm not sure he can run."
NFL Draft Elite 60 – Dane Brugler doesn't have Neal rated in the top 60 players. His top safeties are Jalen Ramsey, Bell and Notre Dame's Jeremy Cash.
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