Two years after the New York Giants struck gold on Andrew Thomas in the 2020 NFL Draft, it appeared as if they were about to land their bookend offensive tackles of the future. With the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Giants turned in their card for Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal. Unfortunately, what felt like a can't-miss player turned out to be anything but.
Neal was supposed to be New York's right tackle of the future, but in his first season with the team, he was routinely dusted by pass rushers off the edge. Some of his reps were so ugly, it made turning on his tape a challenge. His 13-game rookie performance was accompanied by a dismal 41.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, good for 80th among 81 qualifying offensive tackles in 2022.
Sadly, this was only the beginning of Neal's struggles.
In seven games in Year 2, Neal felt almost unplayable and didn't come close to resembling the offensive tackle we saw during his time at Alabama. His PFF grade on the season decreased to 39.8, and all hope looked lost. This disgusting showing led to the Giants seeking external help. They ultimately signed Jermaine Eluemunor to a two-year, $14 million deal to play right tackle while Neal took a backseat.
In 2024, in his third season, Neal worked as both a guard and a reserve tackle. Now entering his fourth season—and the final year of his rookie deal—the former seventh overall pick is listed as a backup guard on the Giants' depth chart.
Because of his monumental struggles, New York appears to be ready to turn the page on their failed draft pick. However, the Giants should give Neal one final chance to prove himself in 2025.
The New York Giants must give Evan Neal one more shot to rebound in 2025
There's more to Evan Neal's underwhleming performance than what meets the eye. Though the tape of his first two seasons is hard to watch, the big offensive tackle dealt with multiple injuries, including ankle and lower-body injuries that impaired his ability to do his job effectively. This isn't to excuse Neal's poor performance, but the context matters.
Last season, Neal's ankle injury was severe enough to land him on the injured reserve list, and he dealt with rib and hip injuries late in the season.
When he was on the field in 2024, Neal showed significant signs of improvement. Though he still struggled to engage with quicker rushers in pass protection, he earned an excellent 80.8 run-block grade from PFF, albeit this came on just 145 running snaps. Still, Neal improved his overall grade from a 39.8 in Year 2 to a 61.2 in Year 3.
While Neal's improvement could hardly be passed off as blocking brilliance, it's important to consider the growth curve and the tools he still has to work with.
At 6'7 1/2'' and 337 pounds with an 83-inch wingspan, Neal has the mass to play guard and the ideal length to play offensive tackle for a long time in this league, though it appears guard will be his position moving forward. We've seen transitions like this in the NFL before. Another former failed Giants offensive tackle and first-round pick, Ereck Flowers, played the second half os his career as a starting guard for Washington and Miami.
What's perhaps most encouraging is that Neal, a former five-star recruit, is just 24 years old entering his fourth NFL season. Even though he hasn't shown as much improvement as we had hoped, time is on his side.
After what we've witnessed over the past three years, it's completely reasonable if the New York Giants no longer want to deploy Evan Neal at right tackle. However, his injury history, improvement last season, former draft status, and youth suggest the Giants should give him one final shot to prove himself as a starting offensive lineman this season before turning the page on this top-10 pick.