Evan Neal eyes an opportunity to give Nick Saban something special in his tenure as the University of Alabama’s head football coach.
Saban has accomplished a lot in his career, but he has yet to produce the No. 1 pick for an NFL Draft with the Crimson Tide.
He got close with Marcell Dareus (2011) and Trent Richardson (2012), but both heard their names at No. 3 overall in their draft classes. Several media pundits have Neal slotted as the No. 1 pick in April. He turned in a magnificent career with the Tide, excelling at left guard, right tackle, and left tackle for three seasons. The 6-foot-7, 350-pounder rarely allowed a sack and protected a pair of 4,000+ yard quarterbacks in Mac Jones (2020) and Bryce Young (2021) as a starter.
RELATED: Alabama OL Evan Neal will not work out at the NFL Scouting Combine
He assisted Young to become the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Memorial Trophy. Neal will not participate in on-field workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he will meet with teams and go through interviews. Joe Namath, a former Tide quarterback, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1965 American Football League (AFL) Draft before the AFL/NFL merger.
The NFL took him with the twelfth pick in the first round.
Neal won two SEC Championships (2020, 2021) and one College Football Playoff National Championship (2020) in Tuscaloosa.
He will perform workouts for NFL teams at his pro day for Alabama on March 30.
If the Jaguars select Neal at No. 1, it is another feather in Saban’s hat.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
