Although Alabama tackle Evan Neal's chances of going No. 1 took a hit Wednesday when the Jaguars signed Cam Robinson to a multi-year extension, Neal is still considered a top-10 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He's a relatively polished tackle who played against top competition in the SEC, and he missed just one game in college (which was due to COVID-19).
In the days leading up to the draft, the rumor mill has begun to churn with some concerns about Neal's medicals. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported: "A handful of teams have raised knee and hip issues to [Breer] concerning Alabama OT Evan Neal, with a good number of clubs considering him a notable medical risk."
That language, however vague, could be harmful in a draft where the top players aren't perceived to be too far apart. Alabama offensive line coach Duke Manyweather concurred, and did his part Wednesday to clear the air around Neal's medicals.
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FAKE NEWS!
— Duke Manyweather (@BigDuke50) April 26, 2022
Neal WAS NOT a medical re-check and was medically cleared at combine.
Dude hasn’t missed a workout since the national Championship! https://t.co/OlZM0JOuW4
There's not a lot of nuance in that response.
Ikem Ekwonu out of NC State was the other tackle getting No. 1 buzz, with Charles Cross from Mississippi State being another top 10 pick.
All of these players will likely end up going top 10, the only question is where they go. The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer has Neal going third to the Texans, Ekwonu going fifth to the Giants, and Cross going sixth to the Panthers. If, however, Neal's medicals do have red flags, we may see that order of linemen shuffled.
