2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Julian Neal (CB – Arkansas)

FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in February. Here’s a look at Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal.

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Julian Neal

Julian Neal (CB – Arkansas)

6’2″ – 208 lbs.

Background

San Francisco native who originally attended Fresno St., where he redshirted in 2021 and barely played in 2022 before rotating in a bit in 2023 (nine tackles). Started four games in 2024, rotating in heavily and finishing with 35-5.0-1.0, six breakups, and two picks, then transferred to Stanford before flipping to Arkansas. Posted 55 tackles, ten breakups, and two picks for the Razorbacks this past year.

Positives

Big, long, and well-built boundary cornerback who broke out this season in his first year against SEC competition. Played a lot of press-man coverage on the outside, along with some zone work from a shuffle technique, and a little bit of bail. Shows good patience and clean footwork at the line of scrimmage to match releases, and has good placement and functional strength to jam. Knows how to squeeze receivers against the boundary when defending outside releases. Has impressive length and uses it effectively to stay connected in man coverage, providing tight coverage at the stem. Has solid speed to carry receivers down the field. Maintains good sight lines when bailing into zone. Locates the football well when targeted, with good technique and timing to go for the breakup. Does a nice job of using his length in run support, locking out opponents and locating the football. Was a highly reliable tackler this past season, owing to his length, functional strength, and wrap technique.

Negatives

Spent five years in school, with just over a year of starting experience. There’s a slight amount of gather when he’s transitioning from getting depth to driving on a spot. Some minor balance issues crop up at times when working from off-coverage/shuffle, forcing him into recovery mode. There’s some drift at the stem when he doesn’t use his hands to feel routes, and doesn’t have elite twitchiness/agility, creating opportunities for anticipation/timing-based throws. Can be a bit late to recognize the run at times. Made significant improvements as a tackler this past year, but was a bit more inconsistent before transferring to Arkansas.

Summary

A big, strong press-man cornerback who plays with good patience and discipline, and knows how to use his length effectively to disrupt timing, constrain space, stay connected in man, and play off of blocks in the run game. He may not be an elite athlete in terms of agility and twitch, but compensates well for it through his technique, allowing him to provide tight coverage. With starting-caliber traits, it seems like he’s currently in the second-day mix, and he could probably solidify that status with strong pre-draft workouts and interviews.

Projection: Round 2-3