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Jaguars roster: Devin Neal Jr. faces crowded safety room
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- Jaguars roster: Devin Neal Jr. faces crowded safety room
Between now and training camp, we will be going through the Jacksonville Jaguars' full 90-man roster, previewing each player.
Up next is safety Devin Neal Jr., who wears No. 36.
Profile
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Height: 6-0
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Weight: 214
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Age: 23
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NFL experience: Rookie
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College: Virginia
How long has Devin Neal been with the Jaguars ?
Following the 2026 NFL Draft, Neal was signed as an undrafted free agent (UDFA) by the Jaguars in April.
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Looking back at Devin Neal's 2025 college season
Neal began his career at Baylor before transferring to Virginia, and in his senior year, he had a career-best season. He started all 14 games and had 88 tackles and eight passes defensed.
He was also one of PFF's highest-graded safeties in the run game. In coverage, he limited opponents to just 6.7 yards per catch and forced six pass breakups.
Looking ahead to 2026 for Devin Neal
The Jaguars have a strong safety room already, led by Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson . Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile frequently runs three-safety looks, but Caleb Ransaw and Jalen Huskey are assumed to be fighting for that final place on the roster. The Jaguars typically roster five safeties, though, so both are likely locks for the 53-man roster, alongside Rayuan Lane, who was a core special teams contributor as a rookie.
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So, where does that leave Neal? He will have an uphill battle to make the roster. If Neal impresses in training camp and shows he has some positional flexibility, such as also functioning as a slot cornerback or hybrid linebacker role, he might convince James Gladstone and Liam Coen to roster a sixth safety. He also has a lot of experience on special teams, which could help further make his case.
In all likelihood, though, Neal will end up on the practice squad, where he can still continue to develop and potentially be elevated in case of injury.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars roster: Devin Neal Jr. faces crowded safety room
