It may only be June, but still, we can't say that we're not worried about the status of Evan Neal leading up to mandatory minicamp. The right tackle hasn't had the first two years in the NFL that everyone thought he would with the NY Giants.
The former No. 7 overall pick has struggled immensely, and 2024 is looking like his last chance to prove he can stick as the right tackle of the future for this team. Coming off ankle surgery in the winter, Neal, per Pat Leonard, was off to the side for a recent OTAs session. Again, we understand the regular season is still about three months away, but Neal suffering any setbacks at all would be a disaster for him:
Giants right tackle Evan Neal is on the bike and on the side, didn’t even stretch with or break down with the team at start of practice today from what I could see.
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) June 6, 2024
He is coming off ankle surgery. But he had been on the field for early periods this spring and then working on… pic.twitter.com/GwQ2APU1pC
Evan Neal is entering a make-or-break campaign with the NY Giants
The Giants appear set to roll with Neal as the starting RT this fall, but how much of a leash will he be on? If his ankle continues to give him problems or if he just doesn't play well, which has been the case since he made his debut, then he could be sent to the bench.
If that happens, what will Brian Daboll and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo decide to do? The simple move, in our opinion, would be to move projected starting left guard Jermaine Eluemunor to the outside. Eluemunor signed this offseason and he's quite versatile.
He played at both guard and tackle for the Raiders, so making the switch to right tackle if needed shouldn't be that difficult of a change for him. However, the hope is that Neal can take a giant step forward now that he's working with Bricillo.
Bricillo knows there's pressure there to help Neal get his game to where it needs to be, but he's made it clear he's excited to work with the former first-round pick. While some Giants fans have had it with Neal, we're ready to back the youngster as he gets ready for this make-or-break campaign. First, though, he needs to get himself healthy and stay that way for when the season starts.