Evan Neal is already validating John Harbaugh’s surprising gamble

Few offseason surprises were as shocking as the New York Giants bringing back offensive lineman Evan Neal, coming back to North Jersey, but what might be even more shocking is him putting in the work and winning a starting spot on the offensive line for 2026.

I’m still not entirely convinced this actually happened. This is the same Evan Neal who couldn’t find a snap in 2025. The same guy who got moved inside to guard just to try and keep his career afloat. The same guy everyone had penciled in as a mortal lock to be gone the second free agency opened.

And now we're just supposed to forget about all of that and move on? Apparently.

The 25-year-old is finally catching attention for the right reasons, popping up in an offseason workout video that makes him look nothing like the player Giants fans remember. Neal linked up with LeCharles Bentley (former Pro Bowl lineman who works with studs like Paris Johnson Jr.) this offseason, and the hype is cautiously real:

He looks visibly slimmer and quicker. The burst is there, the footwork looks cleaner, and for the first time in forever, he doesn’t look like he’s fighting his own body out there. That’s what Harbaugh was betting on when he brought him back, and Neal didn’t waste any time backing it up.

Evan Neal’s workout clip has John Harbaugh smiling ear to ear

The 6-foot-7, 340-pounder being back is directly tied to how Harby felt about him coming out of Alabama. He said they had a lot of interest in him while he was in Baltimore, and it's clear he didn't want to pass up the opportunity to work with him again.

Neal's path since being taken seventh has been messy. He was put at right tackle with Andrew Thomas locked in on the left, couldn't react to NFL speed, battled through injuries, and just never settled in. The Year 4, career-saving throw to move to guard fizzled instantaneously. And that was presumably that, until it wasn't.

The opportunity now is pretty straightforward. With Greg Van Roten still sitting in free agency, the starting right guard spot is open. The competition is Aaron Stinnie, Joshua Ezeudu, Jake Kubas, and Marcus Mbow. Neal is walking into a situation with a path to snaps if he locks in. Putting in the work now with a mentor of Bentley's caliber could pay off handsomely in the long run.

Get the body and mind right for what could be a final opportunity to prove he belongs in the league.

This is exactly what Harby was hoping for when he re-signed Neal. After he brought him back, he shared with reporters that he sat down with him and talked about laying out a plan, a vision, and figuring out what kind of player he wants to be. Neal clearly took that to heart and is executing his plan, potentially making Harbaugh look like a genius -- no one is happier seeing this than the 63-year-old.

This whole thing sounded ridiculous when it happened. It still kinda does, especially when you remember they declined his fifth-year option last year. But if Neal actually pulls this off, Harbaugh’s “why not?” approach is going to look a whole lot smarter than anyone wanted to admit at the time, myself included.