Stalwart left tackle Andrew Thomas' return from a Lisfranc injury has stabilized an otherwise floundering New York Giants offensive line. However, the optimized version of the team's protection unit notably yet unsurprisingly excludes Evan Neal.
It wasn't long ago that New York spent the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft on Neal to bookend Thomas for the foreseeable future. Alas, only half of that vision has come to life, to say the least. With that in mind, the latter's time with the Giants may have run its course, based on intel from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen.
Neal comes in at No. 25 on Fowler and Bowen's list of "the 25 best possible trade candidates" among players "who might actually be available." Who, if anyone, is interested in giving up assets to acquire the 25-year-old remains to be seen. It will presumably take some shrewd negotiating from Giants general manager Joe Schoen to offload one of his biggest mistakes.
Finding a trade partner for Evan Neal would go down as a heist for Giants GM Joe Schoen
Despite the Giants' O-line being banged up throughout the 2025 campaign, Neal has remained a healthy scratch. That alone should tell you where he stands with the franchise. Combine that with their group up front beginning to gel and positional demand, and parting ways with him is a straightforward decision for New York.
"The Giants' starting offensive line finally feels settled, which would make parting with Neal easier, even if for just a late-round pick swap," Fowler wrote. "Teams are always looking for offensive line help."
Usually, the only time Big Blue Nation sees Neal's name and the word "help" is when his lack of contributions is being discussed. He's been awful when given the opportunity, save for anomalously remarkable efforts as a road-paver last season. The fourth-year pro was Pro Football Focus' ninth-highest-graded run-blocker out of 81 qualified tackles in 2024.
New York kicked Neal inside to guard this past offseason after his presence on the edge left much to be desired. He earned praise during the summer for ostensibly successfully transitioning before ultimately losing a battle to Greg Van Roten for a starting job. Actions speak louder than words, and the Giants have been shouting from the rooftops.
For whatever it's worth, the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers were mentioned as potential fits for Neal's services. Bowen believes "teams could be willing to take a chance on Neal as a reclamation project ...," citing the Alabama product's strong draft pedigree. Yet, the analyst and Fowler putting the likelihood of a swap at 25 percent illustrates that rerouting the veteran blocker is easier said than done.