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As has seemed to be the case with a lot of Wisconsin Badgers prospects over the past few years, Zander Neuville benefitted from a position change during his time in Madison. The former walk-on came to UW as a defensive linemen who also worked as a long snapper. However after his redshirt freshman season, Neuville moved to tight end where he was able to carve out a niche for himself.
Neuville unfortunately lost the majority of his final season due to a torn left ACL, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jeff Potrykus. While he was never confused as a receiving threat, his role in the run game was crucial during the 2017 season and was missed during the 2018 season.
Neuville only played in three games this past season, but finished his collegiate career with 10 catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns.
Zander Neuville
Height: 6050
Weight: 252
40 Yard Dash: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three Cone Drill: N/A
Bench Press: 27 reps*
*Height and weight taken from Wisconsin’s 2018 roster; Neuville only benched at Wisconsin’s pro day
Strengths: Well built throughout his physique. Long limbed. Strong. Above-average run blocker for the position. Has ability to displace defenders from their gap assignment. Has shown dependable catching the ball in his opportunities. Experience lining up in-line. Special teams experience.
Weaknesses: Coming off of second consecutive season ended due to injury. Little experience as a receiver. Ran a limited route tree. Stiff as an athlete. Will struggle to separate from NFL defenders.
Summary: Neuville projects as an in-line tight end for a team that runs a gap scheme. He’s a big, strong prospect who’s a bit of a one trick pony. His experience as a special teamer and his background as a long snapper offers some intriguing value, but he will basically have to learn to be a receiver at the NFL level, which is an uphill climb for any player, much less a guy coming off of a torn ACL.
Round Projection: Undrafted free agent (UDFA)