NFL free agency: Five players who would be great value signings
By John Blair
2021 NFL Free Agency: Keanu Neal, S, Atlanta Falcons
The player who is coming off the best season on this list is Atlanta safety, Keanu Neal. Last season, Neal registered 100 tackles, nine tackles for loss and one interception. He was one of the better safeties in the NFL against the run as well last season as well.
Despite having great production last season there are some legitimate concerns with Neal and the first one is his history with injuries. He missed all but three games in 2019 due to a torn Achilles and was only able to play in one game in 2018 as he suffered an ACL injury. Even with these concerns a team looking for a young, hard-hitting, smart safety should definitely consider Neal.
Two-round 2021 NFL mock draft. dark. Next
Three teams have been rumored to have a serious interest in Neal which are the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars. Where he might make the most sense though is in New York where he can reunite with Jeff Ulbrich who was his defensive coordinator in Atlanta. Jets head coach Robert Saleh also prefers to play a cover three, which would allow Neal to mainly play inside the box. This is the ideal scheme for Neal as it would allow him to continue to be a force vs. the run.