Saints RB Devin Neal has massive opportunity ahead

By Ross Jackson

With so much attention being paid to the New Orleans Saints’ running back room, it’s a wonder why a player like second-year back Devin Neal is often not mentioned. 

After fellow back Kendre Miller’s season-ending injury against the Chicago Bears last year, Neal leapt into a key role on the Saints’ offense. Not just as a contributor in the run game, but also as a stellar pass protector, earning a constant third-down role as the season progressed.

Unfortunately for Neal, his hot start came to an abrupt end when a hamstring injury suffered in Week 15 shut him down for the final three games of the season.

At the time, LouisianaSports.Net was told by multiple sources that the injury only ended his season due to timing rather than severity. With only three games remaining, rushing back from a hamstring injury that could have worsened and potentially cost him some of his offseason training wasn’t a conducive plan.

Neal is now going into his second season with the Saints, with an actual offseason between action, as opposed to the draft process he underwent last year.

During his limited action in 2025, Neal saw 57 carries for 206 rushing yards and a pair of touchdown carries along with 17 receptions for 104 receiving yards.

With questions piling up around the position for New Orleans because of the uncertainty of running back Alvin Kamara’s role in 2026, there is still a competition to be had behind (presumably) Kamara and newly-acquired Travis Etienne Jr. One that Neal figures to be in the heart of throughout the offseason.

Neal, Miller, and veteran Audric Estime are all set to return for training camp while recently-added backs Ty Chandler and C.J. Donaldson joined the fold this offseason.

With the former Kansas back being a draft investment in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft for the Saints, he is likely to be heavily considered for the team’s second or third role depending on how many of the top backs stick around for the season.

This will prove to be an impactful and opportunistic training camp for Neal, who was an elite producer at the college level, leading the Kansas Jayhawks program in all-time rushing statistics.