Neal is a special-teams player first, and he has been really good at staying useful in that lane. He has played 131 NFL games but started only one, which tells the whole story. Last year he dressed for every game and made 17 tackles for the 49ers. I have him at a six because availability, tackling and coverage-unit discipline matter even when they do not show up in defensive highlights. You do not want him covering a top receiver for 60 snaps, but you absolutely want him filling the ugly jobs at the bottom of the roster.
Strengths: Neal is durable, physical and highly experienced on coverage units, having missed very little time across eight seasons. His size lets him match different body types and finish tackles in space.
Weaknesses: He has only one career start and no interceptions, so his defensive ball production and full-time coverage ability are limited. His value drops if he is forced out of a specialist and sub-package role.
