A report this week claimed that several NFL teams have concerns about an undisclosed medical condition for offensive lineman Evan Neal leading up to the draft, and the former Alabama star is pushing back.
Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com was told by sources that some teams have medically flunked Neal and removed him from their draft boards. Campbell said the exact nature of the medical issue was shared with him, but he did not pass it on to protect Neal’s privacy.
Neal’s personal coach, Duke Manyweather, says the information in the report is completely inaccurate. He said Neal is in perfect health and has not missed a workout since the College Football Playoff National Championship in January.
FAKE NEWS!
Neal WAS NOT a medical re-check and was medically cleared at combine.
Dude hasn’t missed a workout since the national Championship! https://t.co/OlZM0JOuW4
— Duke Manyweather (@BigDuke50) April 26, 2022
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also cast doubt on the report from WalterFootball.com. Florio was told that Neal was not asked to return to the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis for a medical re-check. That typically means there are no concerns from teams.
As we mentioned previously, the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft are rife with bad information. Teams often leak reports in an attempt to get players to fall down the board. That could be the case with Neal, who is projected by many to go in the first five picks.
There was one other top offensive lineman who was said to have been dropped from certain teams’ draft boards due to injury red flags.
