Oakland Raiders: Ranking the top ten safeties in the 2016 NFL Draft
By Austin Gayle
Keanu Neal, Florida
Keanu Neal is a physical, hard-hitting safety that prides himself on his ability to make jaw-dropping tackles near the line of scrimmage, as the former Florida Gator is a destructive hitter with nose for the football. Though he has experience in coverage, Neal best fits in the NFL as an in-the-box safety that will consistently put his body on the line to bring down ball carriers and leave receivers in fear as they come across the middle.
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In 2015, Neal finished third on the team with 96 combined tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
Neal will need time to develop his skills and coverage and his aggressive play style often puts him out of position both as a run defender and in coverage, but his competitive nature and overwhelming effort should have him selected somewhere in the second or third round.
In Oakland, Neal would likely begin his career as a rotational player in the secondary with a premier role on special teams, for it will be important for him to develop in coverage before he takes over a starting role at strong safety.