The Seattle Seahawks have loved physical cornerback play throughout John Schneider’s tenure at general manager, and they’ve brought another one on board through their third-rounder in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Julian Neal started his college career at Fresno State before transferring to Arkansas, where he emerged as one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC. The Seahawks were able to land him at No. 99, but it looks like it was inevitable that Seattle was going to be his destination ever since the NFL Scouting
Combine.
“It wasn’t a surprise at all,” Neal said. “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.”
You gotta love the immediate declaration by Neal that the Seahawks will repeat as Super Bowl champions.
At just over 6’1” and 203 lbs, Neal provides some size to a cornerback room that just lost Riq Woolen to free agency. When asked to describe the type of player he is, you can understand why the Seahawks took him.
“I’m the most physical corner in this draft class,” Neal said. “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.”
The Seahawks under Mike Macdonald predominantly run zone coverage, a scheme in which Neal excelled in college. He delved a little bit into how he performed in zone in college.
“In zone, I’m able to read the offensive line and I’m able to read the QB. Watching film really helps me a lot with learning the tendencies of receivers, especially being off that seven yards, I can read their steps. Just me being big, I know they have to run around me, they can’t run through me. I know I protect the top of the line at
first. Come down and go get an interception. I can read it. I can read when they’re going to run, I can read when they’re going to pass. I know concepts and I watch film.”
