Carter's Corner: Gators safety Keanu Neal on rise in NFL Draft

Florida safety Keanu Neal could hear his name called in the first round on Thursday night in the NFL Draft. (Photo: Madison Schultz)

Carter's Corner: Gators safety Keanu Neal on rise in NFL Draft

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 | Football, Scott Carter

Neal's decision to skip his senior season appears to be a good one

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- One of the most interesting aspects of the NFL Draft is the seemingly never-ending road to the draft.

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You know, that time from January to April when countless scouting reports are posted online, an overflow of mock drafts clog up Twitter, and the talking heads on TV try to dissect everything from a player's shoe size to the quick-twitch fibers in his hamstring.

As you take a dip into the ocean of analysis, sometimes you'll read a report about a player you saw play regularly in college and the NFL scouting reports simply don't jive with what you know – or thought you knew -- or were told by coaches or teammates.

And, well, sometimes you read something so on the money it's worth repeating.

On the SBNation.com blog CanalStreetChronicles, Dave Cariello offers this take on Gators safety Keanu Neal, who has impressed NFL personnel enough the past four months that there is now talk he could be a first-round pick.

"The living embodiment of a heat-seeking missile, he's great at sniffing out the proper angles and truly lays the wood,'' Cariello writes.

Yep, that's the Neal Florida fans know.

Neal blossomed in his final two seasons with the Gators to become a brick wall in the secondary. When opponents collided with Neal, they knew it was No. 42.

Neal has done nothing but help his draft prospects by impressing NFL personnel with his athletic ability, his knowledge and his NFL-ready body.

The 6-foot, 211-pound Neal is one of the draft's most underrated defensive players according to NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt.

Maybe at the start of the process. Now, Neal has momentum on his side and won't surprise anyone if he is the second Florida player taken off the board behind cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III.

At UF's Pro Day last month, Neal strolled around between drills chatting with several teams who clearly had a growing interest after Neal's workout at the NFL Combine in February.

"He'll hit you,'' Gators coach Jim McElwain said at Pro Day. "He put that on film. He's a guy that's obviously going to be able to not only cover but also to come down and play in the box when needed."

Neal opted to forego his senior season after finishing with a career-high 96 tackles as one the country's hardest-hitting safeties.

Where will Neal go in the draft?

Based on the most up-to-date mock drafts, the consensus appears Neal's landing spot will be at the end of the first round, or early-to-mid second round. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay ranks him the No. 44 overall prospect in the draft; NFL.com senior analyst Mike Mayock ranks Neal the third-best safety in the draft behind West Virginia's Karl Joseph and Ohio State's Vonn Bell.

In its analysis of Neal, NFL.com compares him to Saints standout Kenny Vaccaro.

"He has all the makings of an early starter and may hear his name called earlier than some might project,'' the report concludes.

Neal is taking it on all stride, regardless of where he goes.

"It's a starting point," Neal said. "That's how I look at it. You know, go first, second, third, undrafted. It's a starting point. There are a lot of free agents that go 10 years in the league because they use it as a chip on their shoulder and they keep working. All it is is a starting point in my opinion."