The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they signed 18 undrafted free agents following the conclusion of the 2026 NFL draft. Let’s take a closer look at these players and highlight why each could make a potential roster push.
Up next is Virginia safety Devin Neal.
What to know about Devin Neal
Neal comes to the NFL with nearly 2,000 career defensive snaps played over six college seasons. His career began at Baylor, where he played three seasons. That was followed by two years at Louisville and last season at Virginia.
A full-time starter for the Cavaliers, Neal was a very reliable tackler, missing only six of his 100 tackle attempts, which made him quite effective against the run. He was among PFF’s highest-graded safeties in the run game. In coverage, he limited opponents to just 6.7 yards per catch, while forcing six pass breakups.
Neal has experience playing both deep safety and down in the box. He’s played 481 special teams snaps as well over his career.
Devin Neal’s athletic profile
More on Devin Neal’s game
Here is what Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Campbell wrote about Neal after he signed with the Jaguars:
“Neal is a physical safety at 6’0 215 LBS and is likely going to find a home in the NFL as an in the box safety who can play the run at the line of scrimmage. He is a very good special teams player as well and that is going to be paramount for players like him if they are hoping to stick on an NFL roster. When the lights were brightest, Neal seemed to play his best for UVA last season. Neal tied his career high with two pass breakups in UVA’s 30-27 overtime win at Louisville. Against Florida State, UVA’s signature win of the season, he recorded a career-high 12 tackles in UVA’s 46-38 double-overtime win.”
Could Devin Neal make a roster push with the Jaguars?
Admittedly, this may be difficult to do. On the roster already at safety are Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson, who are expected to start, along with Caleb Ransaw, Rayuan Lane, and Jalen Huskey — all recent draft picks by James Gladstone. Perhaps the Jaguars go heavy and keep six safeties on the 53-man roster, but that was not something they did in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars UDFA profiles: Could S Devin Neal make roster push?
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
