Seattle Seahawks add Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal in third round
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 27: Julian Neal #DB24 of Arkansas participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) (Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
RENTON, Wash. - The Seattle Seahawks added another piece to the secondary on Friday, selecting Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal in the third round of the NFL Draft.
Neal joins TCU safety Bud Clark as new additions to the Seahawks' secondary during the second day of the draft on Friday afternoon. Seattle drafted Clark with the No. 64 overall pick in the second round before adding Neal with their third round selection.
Neal spent just one year at Arkansas after four years at Fresno State. He had initially transferred to Stanford, but transferred again to Arkansas after Troy Taylor was dismissed as Stanford's head coach. Neal had 55 tackles with two interceptions and 12 passes defended for the Razorbacks.
Dane Brugler of TheAthletic.com provided the following scouting report on Neal from his annual draft guide.
A one-year starter at Arkansas (and one-and-a-half-year starter overall), Neal was a perimeter cornerback in former defensive coordinator Travis Williams’ man/zone scheme. A former hooper and wide receiver, he showed gradual improvements at corner over his time at Fresno State and was graded by NFL teams over the summer as a "low-money" undrafted free agent. However, he transferred to Arkansas in 2025 and changed the narrative with an impressive senior campaign.
Neal matches up well physically and plays to his size in different ways. He crowds receivers at the line, pins opponents against the sideline and contests catch points (when he finds the football) — you can see his receiver background in his ball skills and catch-point timing. He also shows his physicality when getting off blocks and working downhill as a tackler. He lacks suddenness in his mirroring footwork, however, and his technique tends to fall apart versus twitchy receivers. Overall, Neal lacks top-shelf speed for easy recoveries, but he stands out with his length, ascending cover talent and ability to play the football from different angles. He has the potential to be an NFL starter for both man and zone teams.
The Seahawks finally were able to make a deal to trade down, moving down three slots in the third round in a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In addition to moving from No. 96 to No. 99 overall, the Seahawks added pick No. 216, which is the final selection of the sixth round.
The acquisition now gives Seattle two selections in the sixth round along with pick No. 188.
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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