Evan Neal and Jameson Williams To Be in Attendance at NFL Draft
Alabama football stars Evan Neal and Jameson Williams are both expected to be among the 21 players in attendance at the 2022 NFL Draft.
In 2021, both players were key in keeping the Crimson Tide's offense flowing smoothly during the season and propelling the team to the CFP national championship game, as well as helping QB Bryce Young win the Heisman.
Neal played at Alabama for three years, where he started all three years and was able to hone his skills and block for the likes of Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and Young, as well as helping the school win two SEC Championships and a national championship during his time.
The 6-foot-7 offensive tackle chose to forgo his senior season to participate in the draft, and was seen by many draft analysts as a possible No. 1 overall pick by Jacksonville, along with Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson, Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux and N.C. State's Ikem Ekwonu. This has since changed though as the Jaguars recently franchise tagged former Alabama left tackle Cam Robinson. While it's looking less likely that Neal will be the first overall pick in the draft, he is still expected to go inside the top 10 and is battling with Ekwonu to be the No. 1 offensive tackle picked.
Williams transferred to Alabama ahead of the 2021 season after spending two years at Ohio State, where he only caught nine passes in his second year. Besides Young, Williams was the most explosive player on the Crimson Tide's offense last season, catching 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns as wide receiver No. 1 on the team.
Unfortunately, Williams tore his ACL early in the second quarter of the CFP national championship game against Georgia, a game where Alabama went on to lose 33-18. Many draft analysts believed that the 6-foot-2 wide receiver had a good chance of being a top 10 pick and the No. 1 wide receiver drafted before his injury. Though he likely won't be picked as highly as he would've before his injury, most still have him going in the first round to a team with a pick in the late teens or early twenties.
The 2022 NFL Draft will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada starting on Thursday, April 28th at 7 p.m. CT, and will be aired on ESPN.
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