The Kansas City Chiefs held their local pro day on April 7, and Kansas Jayhawks star running back Devin Neal was one of the more notable NFL draft prospects in attendance.
“List of draft prospects at Chiefs’ local pro day included QBs Brady Cook and Graham Mertz, RBs Devin Neal and Nate Noel and DB Jacob Parrish,” Chiefs Digest beat reporter Matt Derrick noted on X.
Neal was a three-time 1,000-yard rusher at the collegiate level, and he made a name for himself in the Chiefs’ backyard. Going one step further, Neal was actually born and raised in Lawrence, Kansas, so he’s a local success story through and through.
Depending on who you ask, some consider Neal to be a top 10 running back in 2025. NFL Draft Buzz ranks him seventh for the class, and he sits 10th according to ESPN’s BackCAST projection system.
On the flip side, a grading site like Pro Football Focus has Neal ranked 11th. Either way, he’s in that RB6 to RB12 range in 2025, and is expected to be selected in the middle rounds of the draft.
Devin Neal Could Be Perfect Third-Down Complement to Chiefs RBs Isiah Pacheco & Kareem Hunt
Neal’s skillset actually fits what the Chiefs’ backfield needs to a T. With Samaje Perine gone in free agency and Jerick McKinnon aging out of the third-down role before that, Neal could immediately take over in this area.
Although some believe Neal could potentially develop into a full-time starter, he wouldn’t have to take on that responsibility in KC in 2025 with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt on the roster. Instead, the Jayhawks dual threat could thrive where he does some of his best work.
“[Neal] has been an ascending talent with his passing game contributions to complement good vision, physicality, ball security, and competitive toughness as a primary runner,” The 33rd Team’s lead draft analyst Kyle Crabbs scouted on February 26. Noting that his “passing game profile is boosted by efficient outlet targets and stiffness in his pads in pass protection.”
Similarly, NFL Network analyst Lance Zierlein called him a “capable receiver out of the backfield with smooth hands” and good instincts in the passing game.
And the aforementioned PFF rank agreed that “[Neal] can also be a good third-down back, bringing receiving and pass-blocking reliability.”
As a runner, the 5-foot-11 Neal isn’t the fastest or most explosive, but he gets the job done at 5.8 yards per carry or higher in each of his past three seasons. He was clocked at a 4.58-second 40-yard dash, so he doesn’t have high-end speed.
“Neal runs with a nice blend of patience and decisiveness to choose the right lanes and maximize each carry,” Zierlein relayed. “He lacks top-end burst and speed, which will shrink the field for him, but he’s a fall-forward runner with good contact balance and a nose for short-yardage conversions.”
Full List of NFL Draft Prospects at Chiefs’ Local Pro Day
Chiefs team reporter Matt McMullen provided the full list of NFL draft prospects that attended the KC pro day on April 7. You can find it below, sorted by position.
- Quarterback: Brady Cook (Missouri), Graham Mertz (Florida), Zach Zebrowski (Central Missouri).
- Running back: Neal, Marcus Carroll (Missouri), Keyon Mozee (Miami – OH), Nate Noel (Missouri), RB Jaylin Richardson (Concordia – Saint Paul), Shane Watts (Fort Hays State).
- Fullback: Jared Casey (Kansas).
- Wide Receiver: Lawrence Arnold (Kansas), Jonas Bennett (Missouri Western State), Dante Cephas (Kansas State), Luke Grimm (Kansas), Jadon Jackson (Kansas State), Zach Patterson (Central Missouri), Quentin Skinner (Kansas), Trevor Watts (Fort Hays State), Theo Wease (Missouri), Trevor Wilson (Kansas).
- Tight End: None.
- Offensive Tackle: Logan Brown (Kansas), Marcus Bryant (Missouri).
- Guard/Center: Bryce Cabeldue (Kansas), Gabe Clark (Central Missouri), Michael Ford (Kansas), Cam’Ron Johnson (Missouri), Easton Kilty (Kansas State), Joe Michalski (Oklahoma State), Mason Richman (Iowa).
- Defensive Tackle: Kristian Williams (Missouri).
- Edge Rusher/D-End: Brendan Mott (Kansas State), Jereme Robinson (Kansas), Johnny Walker (Missouri), Dylan Wudke (Kansas).
- Linebacker: Taiwan Berryhill (Kansas), J.B. Brown (Kansas), Corey Flagg (Missouri), Austin Moore (Kansas State), Cornell Wheeler (Kansas).
- Cornerback: Mello Dotson (Kansas), Keenan Garber (Kansas State), Tre Johnson (Missouri), Dontae Manning (Oregon), Cahleel Smith (Northwest Missouri State).
- Safety: O.J. Burroughs (Kansas), Joseph Charleston (Missouri), Marvin Grant (Kansas), Jacob Parrish (Kansas State), Jordan Riley (Kansas State).
- Kicker: Tabor Allen (Kansas), Chris Tennant (Kansas State).
- Long Snapper: Trey Flint (Missouri), Luke Hosford (Kansas).
