2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT REPORT
- Name: Neil Farrell
- Position: Interior Defensive Line
- School: LSU
- Height: 6'4"
- Weight: 338lbs
Film Watched: Auburn 2021, Mississippi State 2021, Senior Bowl
Pro's:
- Huge. Mountain of a man with all the size needed to play the nose in the NFL
- Physically dominant. Love the way he absorbs contact without being moved
- Low center of gravity with plenty of sand in his pants – can take on double teams admirably
- Forklifts opponents when penetrating, and able to stack & shed when given two-gap responsibilities
- Total lane clogger when targeting a single gap
- The big man can move! Decent burst out of his stance and can flow against zone runs
- Impressive stats as a four year starter, & maintained them despite move to the interior in 2021
Neil Farrell Jr. is a DT prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 1.31 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1153 out of 1325 DT from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/IDtyzSvH6S #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/4gUJ7qQUna
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 6, 2022
Con's:
- Motor slows as games progress – conditioning is questionable
- Zero pass-rushing prowess – college sacks a result of pocket push rather than penetration
- Speed into the backfield won’t stress blockers, and tackles when he gets there are easily evaded
- Lack of change of direction speed as you’d expect for a man his size
- Can be defeated by late lane changes by ball carriers avoiding his reach – no foot agility to make the next hole
- Poor athletic testing numbers at the combine – all in the 4th percentile or lower
The Verdict:
“Considering his size and lack of agility, it’s shocking to think that Neil Farrell played the first four years of his Tiger career on the outside, albeit predominantly as a five-tech edge setter. In 2021, Farrell found his true home at the heart of LSU’s defensive line, and was an absolute rock in stopping the run in Baton Rouge. For any team looking for a gap clogging nose tackle in the later rounds, Farrell will appeal in that he’s unmovable even by some double teams, and also shows some burst and enough straight line speed to be competitive against outside, flowing run plays. But there’s no doubt he’ll be on the bench on obvious passing downs, and the lethargy he showed at the combine is another red flag regarding his conditioning. I see him ending up in the AFC North and being a rotational contributor to a defense.”
Simon Carroll
Head Of NFL Draft Content
NFL COMPARISON: TERRANCE CODY
PREDICTION: 6TH ROUND PICK
Rated 5 out of 5