The Tennessee Titans entered the 2020 NFL Draft with a need to fill at backup quarterback, considering that Logan Woodside is the only player at the position on the roster outside of Ryan Tannehill.
The Titans have met with a host of prospects, including Vanderbilt’s Riley Neal, who is ready to find his NFL landing spot in the coming days.
Prospects like Neal have been greatly impacted by the restrictions put in place due to the novel coronavirus.
“I talked with the Titans and I was supposed to go to their local day, and obviously, that never happened,” he told me on Thursday morning.
Neal has met with several teams, but says that in addition to the Titans, the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams specifically come to mind.
The Titans obviously present the advantage of staying local for Neal, and a supporting cast with running back Derrick Henry within it is appealing.
“They run the ball really well, and on top of that, I’ve already lived in Nashville, going to Vanderbilt,” Neal said. “It’s a great city to be in.”
Playing the SEC for the Commodores as a graduate transfer from Ball State has helped give Neal the tools he needs to prepare for the next level, and the offensive situation he was placed in there served him well.
Over five years of college football, Neal has completed 59.6% of his passes for 8,978 yards with 55 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.
“I think we did some stuff at Vanderbilt in terms of protections and changing plays and I was given quarterback freedom to get the offense in a situation that’s ideal for them,” he said. “It kind of gave me a leg up in comparison to some other offenses.”
Neal, who is projected to be chosen in the later rounds or be signed as an undrafted free agent, is ready to put his head down and get to work — regardless of where that may be.
“I think I’ve played a decent amount of football, and I have some experience. I’m someone who is going to come in and work every day, fill whatever role they find necessary,” he said. “I’m not too picky, of course I’ll go anywhere that I’m wanted and that’s good for me. I don’t have any specific criteria for that.”
