Purdue Defensive Tackle Lorenzo Neal Jr. Yet to Sign Free Agent Deal
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Just hours after the NFL Draft ended, former Purdue players Grant Hermanns and Tyler Coyle agreed to free agent deals. But now, more than 24 hours after the final selection on Saturday, Boilermaker defensive tackle Lorenzo Neal Jr. is still waiting for his opportunity.
Neal comes from a football family. His father was a former fullback who played 16 years in the NFL for seven different teams.
After the 2018 season, Neal was projected as a potential top pick at his position. He displayed excellent mobility for his size and had a knack for knocking the ball away from his opponent's hands. He forced two fumbles in 2017 and 2018, which ranked inside the top-10 of the Big Ten Conference.
But in the Old Oaken Bucket game against Indiana in 2018, he tore his ACL and subsequently missed Purdue's bowl game against Auburn.
The injury was a massive blow to his professional aspirations, and it kept Neal sidelined for the entirety of the 2019 season after returning to Purdue. In hopes of rebuilding his draft stock, the 6-foot-2, 318-pound defender joined the Boilermakers once again as a fifth-year senior in 2020.
Neal didn't exactly return to his dominant form. He recorded just six total tackles and two pass deflections in 10 games. Over a four-year college career, he managed 72 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, four sacks, five deflections, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Despite his struggles, Neal was projected as a potential late-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Purdue football players Rondale Moore and Derrick Barnes both heard their names called during the draft.
But now, Neal will await joining former teammates Hermanns and Coyle as an undrafted free agent signee on an NFL roster.
Stories Related to Purdue Football
- DERRICK BARNES DRAFTED: Derrick Barnes is the second Purdue player drafted this year after being selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the NFL Draft with the 113th overall pick. CLICK HERE
- RONDALE MOORE DRAFTED: Rondale Moore was the seventh wide receiver taken in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Arizona Cardinals selected the 5-foot-7 speedster in the second round with the 49th overall pick. CLICK HERE
- BOILERMAKERS SIGN FREE AGENT DEALS: Former Purdue offensive lineman Grant Hermanns signed with the New York Jets while safety Tyler Coyle inked with the Dallas Cowboys. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.