Evan Neal, say hello to the interior of the offensive line? This could be the case for the former No. 7 overall pick this upcoming season. Coming out of Alabama, the hope was that Neal would be a stud at tackle opposite of fellow former NY Giants first-round pick Andrew Thomas.
The opposite has been the case, with his struggles in 2023 potentially being the last straw. With the Giants signing veteran tackle Jermaine Eluemunor early on in free agency, the window is open for him to take the starting spot. However, it could also open the door for Neal to (finally) be moved inside.
Report: Giants reached out to Evan Neal's team about moving to guard https://t.co/dJc0BfSFFz pic.twitter.com/kYjbK2qJgp
— TheGiantsWire (@TheGiantsWire) March 17, 2024
The Giants have reportedly brought up a position change to Evan Neal
According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, the Giants spoke with Neal about him switching from right tackle to left guard. Not only would this allow him to play next to Thomas, one of the best tackles in the league, but it would also allow new signing Jon Runyan Jr. to man the spot at right guard.
There had been some initial speculation about Neal playing right guard, but maybe lining up next to Thomas would be the best move here. Eluemunor plays with a nasty streak and he's winning over Giants Nation with some memorable moments during both interviews and his posts on social media.
Once the pads come on, though, the expectation is he'll stop smiling and hand out pancakes like he was born to do it. If he does end up starting at right tackle, a move to guard for Neal would seem inevitable. Matter of fact, it could be what's needed to save his Big Blue career.
Neal's first two years have not gone according to plan and plenty of people have already written him off as a bust. There were simply too many plays last year - a campaign where he was supposed to show a ton of improvement - where he had fans furious with how badly he was getting beat by edge-rushers.
With his 6-7, 340-pound frame, Neal is a massive specimen and he could be a major problem for defensive linemen on the inside. For us, it shouldn't be a question of whether or not he should switch to guard. It should 100 percent happen.