2022 NFL Draft: Mel Kiper has Evan Neal dropping on his board

ESPN’s NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper has updated his projections with a two-round mock draft just over two weeks away from the start of the anticipated event. In one of his most surprising projections, he has Alabama offensive lineman Evan Neal dropping outside the top five to a borderline top 10 pick as the second offensive lineman off the board.

During an ESPN mock draft special, Mel Kiper took time to explain why Evan Neal makes sense for any team lucky enough to see him fall into their lap further down the board on draft night.

“Evan Neal has played three positions as a starter,” said Kiper. “Very rarely do you see that. Left tackle, right tackle, guard. Maybe drops this far, he makes perfect sense for the Seattle Seahawks. Some will debate whether he’ll be there at No. 9, I think if he were available at 10, that would be a whale of a pick.

Despite projecting him to fall after talk he could be the No. 1 overall pick in the early stages, Mel Kiper still lists some of Evan Neal’s best traits as positional versatility, athleticism at his size and how light he looks on his feet.

Over his college career, Neal became one of the most accomplished offensive linemen in the country while showing off versatility at three positions. In 2021, he was named a consensus All-American and helped the school claim the 2020 Joe Moore award, which goes to the best offensive line unit in college football.

Mel Kiper releases mock draft

Mel Kiper has released a brand new two-round mock draft two weeks before the 2022 NFL Draft. As the highly-anticipated event inches closer, Kiper is putting his updated predictions out into the world.

Prior to getting into the meat and potatoes, Kiper explained his process for creating his latest mock draft.

“I’m projecting these 64 picks based on a combination of my updated rankings, team needs and what I’m hearing from execs, scouts and coaches in the league,” wrote Kiper. “For the second round, in particular, so much could change between now and when teams are on the clock, so I’m using my Big Board as a guide on value.”

Even after the fall for Evan Neal, he still lands inside the top 10, projected to go No. 9 overall to the Seattle Seahawks after they traded franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos.