Evan Neal's career hasn't quite gone the way he or the New York Giants had hoped for when they selected him seventh overall in the 2022 Draft.
Touted for his enormous size ‚ 6-foot-7, 340 pounds — and freakish athleticism, the thought was he'd join a Big Blue offensive line that lacked stability and talent. Well, four years in, and the experiment has been a complete bust. Not only was he unable to lock in the right tackle spot opposite Andrew Thomas, but even a transition inside to guard couldn't save his career.
Related: Giants finally bury Evan Neal with Penei Sewell-caliber pick in 2026 mock
The 25-year-old has been a healthy scratch every game this season, logging a grand total of zero snaps through the first nine games. However, former top-10 picks get more grace than their draft counterparts. And he's officially entered "change of scenery" territory. Still, it was surprising to hear from NFL insider Josina Anderson that the Giants and Las Vegas Raiders discussed a potential trade involving Neal less than two weeks ago:
One team the #Giants had exploratory trade talks on regarding G Evan Neal was the #Raiders. This occurred about one and a half, to two weeks ago, per league source. Evidently, it didn't lead to urgent action, at said time. Nonetheless, it's insight on who's been inquiring.... pic.twitter.com/FgAxqi6XGF
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) November 3, 2025
Obviously, no trade materialized, and that's the problem.
Giants blew their best chance yet to move on from Evan Neal
There is no shortage of clichés we could use to describe how badly general manager Joe Schoen botched this — fumbled the bag, dropped the ball, came up short, choked under pressure — you get the gist.
The point is, Schoen had a team interested in Neal, and someway, somehow, he got off the phone without striking a deal, and that's an indictment of his incompetence on its own.
It's unclear what was discussed or offered, but still, the GM could have sent Neal to Vegas for a conditional seventh-rounder, and it'd be better than having him occupy a roster spot with no intention to ever play him.
They've already declined his fifth-year option, making him a free agent at the end of the season. It makes no sense to keep him on the 53-man, while they have a rookie quarterback who can use all the help he can get. That's a valuable slot for a team that needs to prioritize the development of its quarterback of the future. So, what exactly is the point of attack here — not executing trades for players with no role on the team? What's the vision here?
There’s still time before Tuesday’s trade deadline to clean this up. If Schoen can get back on a call with Vegas or find another team willing to take a flyer, great. But if Neal’s still on the roster come Tuesday evening, it’s just another wasted spot on a team that can’t afford any more of them.