Previously embattled and oft-criticized general manager Joe Schoen has given the New York Giants plenty of reasons for optimism this offseason.
Unfortunately for Schoen, he still can’t get past the stink from arguably his greatest draft failure.
The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner recently reevaluated the most successful position groups from the 2022 NFL Draft, when the Giants took Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal at No. 7.
As Baumgardner pointed out, Neal is still with the Giants and earned a new contract this March.
However, Neal — who is now widely considered one of the franchise’s worst busts in recent memory — is making the league minimum and no longer plays tackle, having moved to guard last year.
Neal, who started 27 games in his first three seasons, did not play a single regular-season game last year. He went on injured reserve with a hamstring injury in November and was never reactivated.
It might be too late for Evan Neal to salvage his Giants career
Just because Schoen and John Harbaugh elected to bring Neal back on a one-year, prove-it deal doesn’t mean Giants fans should expect to see him too frequently this season.
The Giants return four of their five offensive line starters, with first-round pick Francis Mauigoa joining the lineup at right guard. Neal competed for the starting right guard last year but lost out to Greg Van Roten.
Veteran guard Daniel Faalele, who played for Harbaugh in Baltimore, signed with the Giants in April. Faalele started all 34 games the last two years and is expected to play behind Mauigoa.
The Giants have already committed to Mauigoa, an All-American tackle at Miami, as their Week 1 starting right guard. Mauigoa has already drawn rave reviews for his performance during offseason workouts.
As for Neal, it remains unclear what specifically the Giants have planned for him. There is no indication that Harbaugh intends to move Neal back outside, where he’d likely back up right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.
Nearly three months later, it’s still surprising that the Giants bothered to bring Neal back. He essentially lost any chance of winning over the fanbase when he called them “sheep” and encouraged them to “boo louder” following an October 2023 loss to the Seahawks.
Fast forward to now, and Faalele’s arrival makes Neal redundant at best, and a near-guaranteed cut candidate at worst. That is, of course, assuming there are no significant offensive line injuries within the coming months.
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