NFL1000: Rookie Review from Week 15

December 23, 2016   ·   Doug Farrar   ·   Jump to comments

When the Falcons selected safety Keanu Neal with the 17th pick in the 2016 NFL draft, the hope was that he would serve the same role in Atlanta’s defense that Kam Chancellor did in Seattle when Falcons head coach Dan Quinn was the defensive coordinator there.
So far, mission accomplished.
Neal, who's played at a high level all season, is our top-ranked rookie for Week 15 after his stellar game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Neal allowed five catches on nine targets for 68 yards and patrolled the short and intermediate area of the defense with authority, limiting his receivers to 17 yards after the catch and adding eight tackles. Between Neal and linebackers Deion Jones (ranked 15th overall among rookies this week) and De'Vondre Campbell (ranked 48th), there's no doubt that the Falcons have the beginnings of the kind of defense that could eventually match their explosive offense and put them in contention for years.
It's no surprise that the Falcons are getti...

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