The Seattle Seahawks are done with the first two days of their 2026 NFL draft. The team even picked up a sixth-round choice by trading back from pick 96 to 99 in round three. With the 99th choice, Seattle took cornerback Julian Neal
Neal is a bigger corner but isn't projected to be a starter anytime soon. He is 6'1 5/8" and 203 pounds, and ran a 4.49 40-yard dash with a 40-inch vertical jump. That is pretty fast, but an impressive jump. Does that mean he can translate that to being successful on 50/50 balls? Maybe.
Neal will have to develop quite a bit to earn playing time, however. He is slow to react to what receivers are doing and slow to catch up once he is lost. He does have solid speed, of course, but once a receiver has a step in the NFL, the cornerback will struggle.
Seattle Seahawks choose cornerback Julian Neal in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft
Most likely, Julian Neal will begin as a special teams performer while working his way into a cornerback rotation that features Josh Jobe and Devon Witherspoon. The team has an opening after losing Riq Woolen in free agency, but that doesn't seem to be Neal. Not yet.
The hope, of course, is that head coach Mike Macdonald can use some of his genius to help Neal transition sooner rather than later.
The cornerback's size is excellent, and if he knows how to use it, he could be a third-round gem. He also could have been chosen later in the draft, but the Seattle Seahawks don't have a fourth-round or fifth-round selection, so they couldn't wait.
Add us as a preferred source on Google