In a few years, they'll tell cautionary tales of the what-could-have-beens of New England Patriots rookie offensive tackle Will Campbell. You'll be sat there, roasting a marshmallow over an open flame with a cup of hot cocoa, listening to the legends of old...
- Someone will inevitably clear their throat and say, “But draft analysts warned his arms were too short...”
- Another voice will chime in right after, nodding knowingly: “You know the Pats drafted him knowing he might have to kick inside to guard, right?”
For now, those stories aren’t campfire legends or draft-night hypotheticals. They already happened. And they belong to Evan Neal, whose career with the New York Giants has gone off the rails since being taken seventh overall in 2022.
Neal was once heralded as Big Blue’s offensive line savior, the perfect addition opposite star tackle Andrew Thomas. The 6-foot-7, 340-pounder was supposed to be the solution at right tackle for the next decade-plus, but the NFL got in the way. It quickly became clear that size and athleticism weren’t enough to save him, and four years later, he’s a free agent looking to resurrect a career that’s all but over -- at least in East Rutherford.
And while I’m not sounding the alarm just yet, Campbell’s nightmare showing at left tackle in Super Bowl LX should absolutely have Pats fans a little uneasy about their 2025 fourth-overall pick.
Evan Neal is the cautionary tale Patriots fans should be studying closely
It's too late to sit here and say that Neal's career would have gone differently had he moved inside to guard before failing as a tackle for three seasons. We'll never know. What I do know is switching it up in one offseason and expecting him to become a starting-caliber player was never going to work, either.
General manager Joe Schoen has a fragile ego, and moving the second selection he's ever made as the Giants' GM could have made him look foolish. Instead, Schoen didn't pick up his fifth-year option, and Neal didn't play a single snap in 2025. You tell me what's more embarrassing.
Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, it became a last-ditch effort to literally save his career, which inevitably failed because Big Blue never had a plan for their prized draft pick. They just hoped one day he'd magically figure it out.
If New England HC Mike Vrabel and Co. are reading this (I really appreciate the support), it's time to take a serious look in the mirror as it pertains to their 22-year-old up-and-comer.
Firstly, he's not anywhere near Neal-level problematic. If we're being honest, the former LSU star really lost his footing after suffering a Grade 3 MCL tear in Week 12 that kept him on IR through Week 18. But Big Blue's OT also struggled with injuries that hampered his consistency and playing time. By all accounts, before the injury, he was playing well.
Which is why it should be fairly alarming Campbell got embarrassed during the Super Bowl. We're talking historically bad performance, so bad that he refused to speak with the media after the game. The rookie allowed 14 pressures, the most given by any player in the entire 2025 season, and he saved it for the brightest stage. Not a great look.
Patriots fans don’t have to panic yet, but they should be paying close attention. Giants fans know how this story starts because we're still living it in real time. A blue-chip tackle with obvious flaws and a league that doesn’t wait around for development plans to pull through. Will Campbell still has plenty of time to get right, so steer clear of those campfires for now. But don't say I didn't warn ya.