Prior to the 2022 NFL Draft, Evan Neal was a consensus All-American in his final season in college and was deemed a “can’t miss prospect” on the offensive line. At 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds, he was a real “hog molly”, as Dave Gettleman would have said. And the New York Giants thought they had found their bookend right tackle opposite Andrew Thomas.
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But since the Giants selected the former Alabama star No. 7 overall, he has endured an NFL career marred by injuries and disappointment. According to Pro Football Focus, Neal’s 49.6 pass block grade from 2024 ranked 111th among 140 qualified offensive tackles.
He allowed 17 pressures last season and has practically been a turnstile at right tackle, and the experiment has gone so poorly that Big Blue has experimented with moving the 24-year-old to guard. But entering a contract year, Neal’s name has been floated in trade rumors, and ESPN’s Bill Barnwell sees the Giants cutting ties.
Evan Neal gets sent to Los Angeles Chargers in ESPN mock trade
Barnwell pitched a three-team trade between the Giants, Chargers, and Cardinals that would see New York finally move on from their first-round bust. In the deal, the G-Men send Neal to the Chargers for a 2027 seventh-round pick, while the Cardinals land another first-round disappointment in wide receiver Quentin Johnston.
After Rashawn Slater went down with a season-ending torn patella, the offensive line depth has taken a hit for the Bolts. Mekhi Becton is still banged up, and Jim Harbaugh’s system might be the perfect situation to tap into Neal’s potential. He’s a strong run blocker, so a power run scheme could mask his flaws and help him take advantage of his physical traits.
As for Arizona, they are in dire need of receiver help behind Marvin Harrison Jr and Michael Wilson. Johnston has struggled with his hands since entering the pros, but for just a fifth-round pick, he is worth the “buy low” approach to see if a scenery change can unlock the production that made him a star at TCU.
And for the Giants? This is less about return value and more about ripping the Band-Aid off. The offensive line is a clear red flag, and Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen should want no weak links. It’s been a rough summer for the Florida native, and Big Blue needs to protect first-round rookie Jaxson Dart to the best of their ability once he takes over.
New York hasn’t officially pulled the trigger, but the writing is on the wall, and it’s clear Neal is on borrowed time in blue. Whether it’s through a trade like Barnwell’s mock-up or a different deal, the clock is ticking on a former top pick who simply never found his footing in East Rutherford—and has only amplified the Giants’ search for OL stability.