Sixth-round rookie Devin Neal (pick 184, Super Model 65, ADP 215.4) intrigued Overzet right after the draft because of Alvin Kamara’s age and Kendre Miller’s injury history. Once camp buzz painted Miller as the clear RB2, Overzet quit drafting Neal, explaining that it is hard to click a back who still needs an injury just to see the field. Exposure has fallen to 7.2 %, and Neal is now a watch-list name rather than an active target.

Tom Strachan knocked Devin Neal’s prospects, pointing to the Saints’ post-minicamp addition of Cam Akers as evidence the rookie is not ready. Neal’s ADP slid 11 spots to 215, and Strachan doubts he earns more than gadget touches behind Akers and incumbent starter Alvin Kamara. While Neal’s explosive-play rate (15% 20-yard runs at Kansas) is intriguing, Strachan believes he is a redraft stash only if Kamara misses time.

Billy Jones said he is clicking Devin Neal whenever the rookie slips into the 170s, calling him the only Saints backup currently flashing positive camp buzz. Jones referenced Coach-Speak Index reports that New Orleans is "loading up the rookies’ plates" and steadily giving Neal more first-team reps, something Kendre Miller has not enjoyed since a widely mocked drill video showed Miller lumbering through ladder work. That clip, coupled with Miller’s absence from subsequent beat-writer notes, has pushed Miller’s ADP down nearly 20 spots while Neal’s has fallen only five—evidence, Jones says, that drafters are missing the real headline. He conceded the RB2 role behind Alvin Kamara is rarely league-winning but reminded listeners Kamara played fewer than 60% of snaps in nine games last year and is now 29 years old. If Kamara misses time, Jones expects a two-man committee in which Neal handles the passing downs thanks to his 93-catch collegiate resume. In a half-PPR best-ball format, that target upside is enough for round-16 ammo, especially on Saints–Raiders Week-17 game stacks.

Chris Raybon said Devin Neal is the perfect Round-17 moonshot because the entire Saints backfield could flip at any moment. Neal averaged 1,500 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Kansas, then went in Round 6 to a brand-new, offense-first coaching staff led by Kevin Moore. Alvin Kamara turns 30, is entering Year 9, and has not played a full season since his rookie year. Behind him are question marks—Kendre Miller never earned the old regime’s trust and Clyde Edwards-Helaire was only a depth signing. Raybon believes Moore may try to shorten games with a run-heavy approach; if that happens, Neal’s three-down skill set gives him a real chance to grab the early-down and passing-game work. He added that the roster could be bad enough for New Orleans to “shut Kamara down” late, creating a fantasy-playoff scenario where Neal is the every-snap back in tank mode. Raybon framed the pick as exactly the kind of unknown-ceiling swing managers should take once ADP no longer matters in best-ball drafts.

Pat Kerrane closed the mock by snagging Devin Neal as a replay of last year’s Kendre Miller gamble. Kamara has not finished a full season since 2017, and Neal brings the same burst-plus-receiving profile that once powered the veteran to top-five finishes. Kerrane believes even a half-season glimpse of Neal as lead back would send his dynasty value soaring, given the Saints’ zone-heavy run scheme and Derek Carr’s check-down tendencies. With Miller’s development stalled and Jamaal Williams a cap-casualty candidate, Neal is an inexpensive way to corner the Saints’ future backfield while chasing a 2024 league-winning stretch run if Kamara breaks down again.