Andrew Thomas has loads of confidence in Evan Neal and you should too
Three games into his NFL career and plenty of NY Giants fans are already labeling right tackle Evan Neal a bust? What?! Yes, Neal has looked the opposite of how a No. 7 overall selection should to start his career, but he’s also showcased plenty of potential as well. It’s never easy to make the adjustment from college to the pros. Just ask Andrew Thomas about that.
Remember how awful Thomas looked at times during his rookie campaign? The No. 4 overall pick in 2020, Thomas struggled to do his job and people all over New York and New Jersey were labeling him a bust as well. Now, Thomas is playing at an All-Pro level and enters Week 4 looking like one of the best hosses in the game.
He’s making people forget about the poor start to his career. The hope is that Neal can do the exact same thing, which Thomas has no doubt he can do. Indeed, Thomas spoke about the rookie tackle and he is backing him up 100 percent.
Andrew Thomas is confident that Evan Neal will bounce back from last week:
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) September 28, 2022
"He's a talented kid, has all the tools in the world. He's mature as hell. I'm confident in him." pic.twitter.com/vqyl6X2Nor
NY Giants OT Andrew Thomas is taking Evan Neal under his wing
"“Just encouraging him to keep working and to have a short-term memory, but just a reminder that the stuff that you put on film, the rushers next week, they’re watching that,” Thomas said on what he’s been communicating to Neal. “Just a reminder to clean that up and keep working on the technique. He’s a talented kid and has all the tools in the world. He’s mature, so I’m confident in him.”"
Thomas made it clear that it wasn’t just Neal who didn’t execute against the Cowboys, but it was the entire offensive line as a whole. While Thomas is nice to defend the rookie tackle, he sure had a night to forget. Demarcus Lawrence has his way with Neal, posting three sacks. Plain and simple, Neal has to do a better job of protecting Daniel Jones.
He’ll have a great opportunity this weekend to bounce back, as the G-Men will be hosting the Chicago Bears at MetLife Stadium. This is another winnable game for New York, as they’ve got a great chance at improving to 3-1.
In order for that to happen, the guys up front need to step up and make plays for their quarterback. Neal is high on this list, and Thomas knows he has what it takes to make his coaches and the fans happy in this one.
