Another day of New York Giants training camp, another day of Evan Neal making his case to be the team's starting guard come opening week.
In what's become somewhat of a career arc for the former failed offensive tackle, his position change to guard has been going exactly how head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen could have hoped for.
On Sunday, the lineman went viral after a clip of him mauling (what looked like) defensive tackle Cory Durden. It was a textbook seal that provided a massive hole for Cam Skattebo to hammer right through.
Related: Evan Neal might’ve just bought himself more time with much-needed camp rep
It didn't take long for Neal to be back at it again with the... pads on. And oh man, was it impressive. His size and athleticism were on full display during Monday's practice (first padded practice of the season). The 24-year-old was so impressive, his play caught the eye of former Giants legend Carl Banks, who wasn't afraid to go bold with a pun-intended prediction on social media:
*Guarded* prediction....
— Carl Banks (@CarlBanksGIII) July 29, 2025
Back in the offseason, I said Evan Neal could be an All-Pro guard if he buys into the move. After watching him today, I feel even better about that. Not saying it’ll happen—but it definitely can. #Giants #togetherblue
It was a guarded prediction indeed, but one that could have some legs. He was so impressive on Monday that Giants fans might actually be back in his corner again. Who would have guessed that?
Giants legend Carl Banks sees All-Pro potential in Evan Neal
It's hard not to agree with his analysis. Take a look at these one-on-one reps during padded practice. The guy looks like a natural out there:
Evan Neal’s two 1v1 reps at guard pic.twitter.com/qarO7kfaHb
— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) July 28, 2025
Just look at the way the 6-foot-7, 340-pounder parks his legs in the dirt and gets his massive mits on the defenders, not allowing them to go anywhere. It is only training camp, but it already looks like the plan is working, and he's come a long way. Time will tell if it actually works out, but for now, let's go!
If only the Giants had tried this experiment in any of his other previous three seasons. After declining his fifth-year option, this could be his final season with Big Blue. And what a catastrophic nightmare it'd be if he finally put it together only to leave and go to another team.
But we'll cross that bridge when we get there... for now, it's good vibes only.
This finally feels like the version of Evan Neal the Giants hoped for when they drafted him seventh overall back in 2022. He’s settling into a role that fits his skillset, and for once, there’s some real optimism tied to his name. If this holds up when it matters, the G-Men might’ve pulled off a quiet win here. That alone might be enough to rewrite the ending to what was shaping up to be a total bust.