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.
"It wasn’t a surprise at all," Neal said of being drafted by the Seahawks. After that meeting at the Combine, the assistant head coach (Leslie Frazier) told me, ‘You’re most likely going to be picked by the Seahawks, Julian Neal.’ He told me that to my face. And I believed in him and they believed in me. We’re going back-to-back this year."
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.
Like Clark, Neal has played multiple spots on defense – including both cornerback and safety.
"I’m the most physical corner in this draft class," Neal proclaimed. "I use my arms to my advantage. I use my length. I use my availability. I’ve never gotten hurt, I’ve never missed a game in college from being hurt. I come down [and] I hit something. I’m going to go up and get the ball. I’m getting interceptions. I’m pressing dudes at the line. I’m locking dudes up at the line. It’s box time."
Head coach Mike Macdonald did say that Neal will be at cornerback for the Seahawks.
"We see him playing corner," he said. "I think that's one of the exciting parts about where he is there's so much room for growth. He's already playing a really good brand of football. He has great traits, got a great work ethic, super competitive. He's smart. Those are all the ingredients that we believe can add up to playing even better football as his career grows. It's pretty cool."
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.
"We give Pittsburgh a lot of credit for doing a great job and working with us. We had a number
of teams kind of go away on us. It was a great day," Schneider said.
Schneider did expect that it will be a long wait for the team on Saturday as they wait for their next selections in the sixth round to come around.
"It's going to be a freaking blast," Schneider said, dripping in sarcasm. "Sit there and watch all these names come off. It's really fun."
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
MORE SEAHAWKS NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Seattle Seahawks select TCU safety Bud Clark in second round of NFL Draft
Seahawks weigh moves as Day 2 of NFL Draft begins
Seahawks select Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price in first round of NFL Draft
Seattle Seahawks select Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price in NFL Draft
Seahawks eye trades as NFL Draft begins
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.