Like seemingly every team, the Seattle Seahawks are already dealing with several injuries in training camp. This includes wide receiver Jake Bobo and cornerback Julian Neal, who have missed several practices due to hamstring and leg injuries, respectively. Both returned to practice on Monday.
But there is a catch. While both were on the practice field , neither participated in 11-on-11 drills. Instead, both worked out in individual drills, and Neal wasn't seen sprinting on the sidelines while Bobo was.
Oddly, it is the rookie Neal that might be the bigger worry. Bobo is an elite glue guy and can catch important passes at times. He is also a very good blocker. What Bobo isn't going to do, unless several things go very wrong, is lead the team in receptions over the course of the year.
He is a valuable player, especially on special teams, and that is why the Seahawks matched the offer sheet that the receiver received from the Jacksonville Jaguars this past offseason. Bobo has a key role to play, but that mostly will come in the third phase of the game.
Neal is a player that Seattle might need more because of the position he plays. After losing Riq Woolen in free agency to the Philadelphia Eagles , Seattle didn't appear to add someone of equivalent quality in free agency themselves. Josh Jobe was re-signed, Nick Igbinoghene was signed, and Nehemiah Pritchett is still on the team.
Jobe was good in 2025, but the depth behind him hasn't exactly looked great in camp. This is probably one reason the Seattle Seahawks have had two visits with embattled free agent Terrion Arnold . Arnold has legal issues, including eight felony charges, and might not be available to play even if Seattle remains interested.
Neal, who was the team's third-round selection in 2026, could have possibly changed the makeup of the cornerback group had he been fully healthy so far. He is a bigger corner at 6'2" and 2-5 pounds, so someone akin to Woolen. He would need to grow into a good pro, of course, and that is impossible to do if he can't practice.
Devon Witherspoon is an elite corner, but he isn't a pure outside corner like Neal. Witherspoon is better in the slot because of how great he is against the run and how fantastic he is in terms of pressuring quarterbacks. Nick Emmanwori can play in the slot too, but he isn't a true outside corner like Neal. Emmanwori was drafted as a safety.
At least Jake Bobo and Julian Neal were back at practice this week. They might not be ready to play real games yet, but thankfully, the season is still almost a month away.
This article was originally published on www.12thmanrising.com as Seahawks finally get good news on Jake Bobo and Julian Neal (sort of) .
