There's been a youth movement in 2025 for the New Orleans Saints, but rookie RB Devin Neal had one of the longer waits for his first big opportunity.
That's come the past two-plus weeks for the 6th round running back, who has taken over a bellcow role the past two weeks with starter Alvin Kamara down with a knee injury. In a Week 14 win over the Bucs he accounted for a career-high 70 rushing yards and his first career rushing TD on 19 carries, and added another xx yards on xx catches in the air. Neal say down this week with Voice of the Saints Mike Hoss for a wide-ranging interview that breaks down the game, his mentality, background and a lot more.
“You kind of go into this with, not necessarily the expectation not to play, but you do whatever it takes to get on the field, you know, sit back, learn, be a sponge, continue to get better and continue to just get more reps out there," Neal said, "but being kind of thrown into the fire, it’s been awesome. I live to play this game, it means a lot to me, so just being able to play in the NFL, play significant snaps, it means a lot to me, for sure.”
Hear the full, exclusive interview with Saints RB Devin Neal in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
An area of Neal's game that coaches have long been touting is his ability in pass protection, a typical struggle point for young players. Neal earned a 79.8 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus in Week 14, the second highest on the team, and he has not been credited with a single QB hit or sack allowed in his 22 pass blocking sets.
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"I really pride myself on being a really great pass-protector and, you know, it’s taken a lot of work to get to that point. It’s not easy … and it takes a lot of different factors, but at the end of the day it’s about a want-to mentality," Neal said, "and my want-to is to protect the quarterback and do whatever it takes to stay ahead of the sticks and to win the game, so that kind of goes along with my mindset when it comes to pass protection.”
Kamara has yet to practice since going out in the first half against the Falcons with an knee injury, and his status will be one to monitor throughout the upcoming week. If he misses a third straight game, it'll be Neal again serving in the lead back role as the Saints (3-10) stare down a rematch with the Panthers (7-6) who now sit in a dead heat with the Bucs for the NFC South lead. Catch all the action on WWL and Audacy.