Siran Neal – Jacksonville State – 6’0″ – 206 pounds
Ok, I’ll be open and up front about this. I haven’t been able to watch enough game film on Jacksonville State’s Siran Neal to be able to give him my usual vote of confidence. The problem is that since he went to Jacksonville State there aren’t game cut ups available like there are these other prospects.
His spot on this wish list is based on a few different things. First and foremost, the highlight video below. Now, I am usually not a highlight video fan. Everybody looks promising when you just show their best plays back to back. You only really get a feel for a player when you see them play in and play out. HOWEVER, what this video shows is a guy that is physical enough to be a force against the run and has the coverage skills, speed, and agility to line up man to man in the slot and stick to wide receivers. Yes, this was at a small school so the competition was weak, but the traits he shows are very tempting. It’s definitely worth your time to give it a watch. You’ll see Neal line up as a true safety, a slot corner, and a nickel linebacker.
If you combine those highlights with reports that Neal stood out during Senior Bowl week practices and his NFL Combine performance (17 bench press reps, 4.56 forty, 40.5 inch vertical) you get a prospect that would be well worth a shot in the middle to late rounds. I don’t know if Neal would be a perfect fit to start in Parker’s old spot or not. However, when you get to that point in the draft even if he works better as a dime back it is worth it. I think he shows some real promise and would love to see him end up in Kansas City.
I’ve got one more late round option.