2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT REPORT

Neil Farrell

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

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.”
Mock Draft
Simon Carroll
Head Of NFL Draft Content

NFL COMPARISON: TERRANCE CODY

PREDICTION: 6TH ROUND PICK

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

HEAD OF CFB/NFL DRAFT CONTENT

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST.

5/5