Falcons select Keanu Neal in 2016 NFL Draft: Twitter reacts to selection
The Atlanta Falcons selected safety Keanu Neal with the 17th overall pick, and Twitter has been reacting to the selection.
Want physicality on defense? The Atlanta Falcons just got some in safety Keanu Neal. As is always the case, there has been numerous reactions on Twitter. Should the Falcons have passed up on Myles Jack, Shaq Lawson and Darron Lee?
What are your thoughts on the pick? Let us know. Here’s some of the reaction on Twitter.
@BloggingDirty Happy to have him but wanted Myles Jack
— Fitzgerald (@ChrisBarnettII) April 29, 2016
Neal is our Kam Chancellor in this defense.
— Reggie (@i_am_reggie) April 29, 2016
@BloggingDirty gutted could have been special! Like Neal but feel it was too much of a reach
— Stuart Jerrams (@coolbeans2311) April 29, 2016
@BloggingDirty gonna state the obvious...he's not a LB
— call me Michael (@getchu_some_me) April 29, 2016
@BloggingDirty disappointed. Wanted Jack. Could have gotten Neal at 50
— Sm¡ty (@Smith_K_) April 29, 2016
Top 3 safety in this class, solves a need I like it https://t.co/VoHpfp7skS
— A.M 🦋 (@theeaustinmiles) April 29, 2016
Slight reach. Just a bit early to me with the other options on the board https://t.co/xSL9IBKZhN
— GP (@requestGranted) April 29, 2016
@BloggingDirty I really like the pick
— Landon Johnson (@hotlanta58) April 29, 2016
@BloggingDirty Neal would have been available in the second. At least should have gotten Lawson or Lee
— Sm¡ty (@Smith_K_) April 29, 2016
It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch Neal making some big hits on defense. He doesn’t hold back and hits with his violent style. Myles Jack’s injury was clearly a massive red flag for the Falcons, and they rated Neal over a Reggie Ragland, Lawson or Lee.
This is an interesting pick. Some feel the Falcons could have got Neal in the second round, but Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff clearly didn’t agree or didn’t want to take that risk. They went and got their guy and he’s a talented one.
Stay tuned to Blogging Dirty for full analysis of this pick. What are your thoughts on this one?
For the Falcons, hitting their draft picks out of the park this year is crucial for the team to have any hope of returning to the playoffs. After a 5-0 start in 2015, it quickly fell away into an average 8-8 season well short of a postseason appearance.
The priorities lie on fixing the defense which struggled to get after the quarterback in 2015. Atlanta posted a disappointing 19 sacks on the season, which was actually three fewer than they recorded the year before, leading to the selection of Vic Beasley 12 months ago.
Remaining Falcons picks
Second round (50th overall pick)
Third round (81st overall pick)
Fourth round (115th overall pick)
Seventh round (238th overall pick)