Arkansas CB Julian Neal taken near end of third round by Super Bowl champion Seahawks
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Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal had to wait until the bitter end of Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, but the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks made his patience pay off in a big way.
The Seahawks selected the 6-foot-2, 203-pound San Francisco product with the No. 99 overall selection of the draft on Friday night. There was only one selection made at No. 100 to end the third round, so Neal had to wait until nearly the very end of Day 2 to hear his name called. With only 2 picks left in the third round, that announcement came, with Neal heading to the Pacific Northwest after spending just 1 season at Arkansas.
Neal was also the first Arkansas player taken in this draft, so he carries that mantle as well as going to the NFL team currently on the top of the mountain. He’s also the first Razorback defensive back to be taken in the draft since Montaric Brown was taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2022 draft.
An Arkansas defensive back hadn’t been drafted as highly as Neal since Chris Houston went in the second round of the 2002 draft to the Atlanta Falcons.
After his high school career in San Francisco, Neal stayed in-state and spent 4 seasons at Fresno State, where he played in 30 games (including 4 starts) before heading to the SEC to finish his collegiate career. Neal made his 1 season at Arkansas count, playing in all 12 games last year and piling up 55 tackles with 2 interceptions and 10 pass breakups.
Neal was the Razorbacks’ highest-graded defensive player last season, which surely helped his draft stock. He had a Pro Football Focus defense grade of 79.5, with a coverage grade of 76.5 that also ranked first on the defensive side of the ball.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. had Neal rated as the No. 121 overall prospect in this draft class, so even though Neal had to wait until the very end on Friday night, he was slotted to be a Day 3 selection by the most notable draft analyst out there.
Arkansas will be starting a new era this season under head coach Ryan Silverfield, and the Razorbacks have a long way to go to contend for a College Football Playoff spot. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the top teams in the mix for a Playoff spot this fall:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
