Okay, let's be real here: the 2022 season didn't go according to plan for NY Giants right tackle Evan Neal. Taken with the No. 7 overall pick, Neal had monster expectations for the G-Men during his first year in the league, but he simply did not live up to the hype.
Neal had several games where he looked rough and he really struggled to protect signal-caller Daniel Jones. Fans were quite frustrated with his play, but no one is ready to give up on him just yet. Neal has put in some serious work this offseason and he wants to turn heads in 2023.
One of the biggest changes for him has been mixing things up with his stance. Neal is ready for it to make the world of a difference for him:
"In this league, you've got to be able to adapt. This is just another one of those things, me trying something new."
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) May 31, 2023
- Evan Neal on his offseason stance adjustments pic.twitter.com/wY6ZiAD7GR
Giants RT Evan Neal knows he can take a step forward in 2023
"I'm open to change - in this league you have to be able to adapt. I've done a lot of things that worked for me in the past and I've done things that haven't worked so well, so this is just another one of those things of me trying something new just seeing how I can get better in any way."Evan Neal
All of his struggles from last season must have been humbling for the former Alabama standout, but he is only getting ready to enter his second year in the NFL. There's a reason so many teams wanted Neal last April: he's got great size and blocking abilities.
We've said this before, but Andrew Thomas also had a rough rookie season and now he's considered one of the best offensive tackles in the game. We're not saying that Neal will be an All-Pro right tackle this season, but we do think he can showcase major improvements across the board in '23.
Neal probably saw a lot of his haters all over social media last year labeling him a bust. Each Sunday, folks were all over Twitter saying that the Giants made a mistake taking him so early in last year's draft. Looking ahead to next season, though, something tells us Neal will be a completely different guy going to work in the trenches for New York.
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