Devin Neal is fighting an uphill battle against Kendre Miller and Audric Estime to be the New Orleans Saints third running back on the depth chart that keeps getting steeper for him. With Alvin Kamara on the shelf early, the battle will determine Travis Etienne's running mate to start the season. To make this battle even more important, the Saints may not keep four running backs on the roster all year.
Neal's latest injury could be the difference between him seeing 5-7 carries a game and not being on the roster at all. Neal couldn't play in the first preseason game because of a hamstring injury. Then, on his second carry of the day, he pulled up on the run with what was later confirmed to be another hamstring injury.
What makes matters worse is that Miller and Estime have looked good in their small sample size. It was an already tight race, and Neal is falling behind more and more each week. If he has to miss next week and either Estime or Miller plays well, that will be the nail in the coffin for the second year player.
Devin Neal's sudden injury issues could push him off the Saints' roster
Neal was the pinnacle of health in college. During his four year collegiate career, he didn't miss a single game due to injury. He makes it to the league, and they become a constant issue for the running back in his first two seasons.
The injury bug struck quickly for Neal as a pro. Only three starts in and he was out for last couple games of the season. These injuries keep coming back to the hamstring.
It was a hamstring injury that kept the running back from finishing the season, and a hamstring kept him out early in camp. Kellen Moore didn't have the information immediately after the game on whether this latest hamstring injury was a re-aggravation of the previous injury or a new ailment altogether.
Regardless, the result will be time missed. There's three things that separate Neal and Miller, who's notoriously lost the injury battle over his career. Neal was a higher investment, didn't have as much competition during his career and passes the eye test overwhelmingly.
The latter is what keeps the Miller hype alive even in his darkest moments. The stats don't wow you against the Rams, but he looked strong and elusive with the ball in his hands. He also had a good screen pass that was called back due to holding, but we can highlight Miller's individual performance on that play since it's preseason.
Estime was impressive during the first preseason game until he got injured. His ability to shed tacklers through power or making them miss tends to be underrated. Neal's body isn't even allowing him to have a chance to show what he can be when healthy, and that's going to cost him in the long run.
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