Bayview-Hunters Point native Julian Neal drafted by Seahawks in third round

Bayview-Hunters Point got a draft-night jolt when Julian Neal heard his name called by the Seattle Seahawks, who took the San Francisco native with the 99th overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. For a neighborhood too often defined by what it lacks, Neal’s path from Mission High School to the NFL became a reminder of what careful coaching, school support and a clear route out of the city can still produce.

Neal grew up in Bayview-Hunters Point and told ABC7 San Francisco that he hopes his journey can inspire other young people in San Francisco. He also said he is trying to wear No. 1 in the NFL if possible, a small but visible sign that the moment mattered to him as more than a transaction. It was a milestone that linked one of the city’s most under-resourced neighborhoods to one of football’s biggest stages.

Arkansas listed Neal as a Mission High alumnus and a San Francisco native, and the Razorbacks said he was their first player selected in the 2026 draft. At Arkansas, Neal played in 12 games with 12 starts in his 2025 season and recorded 55 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions and 10 pass breakups. The production reflected a defender who was active at the line of scrimmage and dangerous in coverage.

The NFL Combine numbers helped explain why Seattle invested the pick. Neal measured 6-foot-1 5/8 and 203 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds, posted a 40-inch vertical jump and reached 11 feet 2 inches in the broad jump. Those metrics fit a cornerback with length, speed and explosiveness, the kind of profile teams chase in the middle rounds when they believe upside can turn into starting-caliber play.

Seattle’s team materials also portrayed Neal as a multi-position athlete who starred at wide receiver, defensive end and defensive back in high school, was an All-City selection in basketball and made the honor roll. The Seahawks noted that his uncle, Aaron Criswell, played wide receiver at UNLV from 2013 to 2015, another family tie to college football that reached beyond San Francisco.

For Bayview-Hunters Point and Mission High, Neal’s selection is more than a personal achievement. It is a public example of what happens when a local athlete moves from city classrooms and neighborhood fields to a Power Four program and then to the NFL. The harder question now is whether San Francisco is building enough of that pipeline for the next Julian Neal to follow.