Skip to main content

2022 NFL Draft recruiting rewind: Alabama's Evan Neal to New York Giants

Evan Neal was billed as a 'can't miss' offensive tackle
2022 NFL Draft recruiting rewind: Alabama's Evan Neal to New York Giants
2022 NFL Draft recruiting rewind: Alabama's Evan Neal to New York Giants

Coming out of IMG Academy (Florida) in the 2019 recruiting cycle, Evan Neal was a hulking 6-foot-7 1/2, 360-pound offensive line prospect.

Although he bounced around the Alabama offensive line out of necessity in college, he didn't disappoint. 

Neal was selected No. 7 overall by the New York Giants, who snagged a pair of former five-star recruits in the top seven picks (Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, No. 5 overall). 

Here's how the major recruiting services viewed him as a high school prospect: 

247Sports

Ranking: 5-star prospect; Nation's No. 32 overall prospect, No. 4 offensive tackle, No. 4 prospect in Florida 

Notable: Rated the nation's No. 4 offensive tackle, Neal was two spots behind Mississippi State star and fellow NFL first-round draft pick Charles Cross. 

Rivals

Ranking:5-star prospect; Nation's No. 8 overall prospect, No. 1 offensive tackle

Notable: In a class that boasted Cross, Texas A&M's Kenyon Green, and UCLA' Sean Rhyan, Rivals got it right with Neal being a truly elite prospect among the group. 

Neal and Cross were both very highly rated by Rivals. 

ESPN

Ranking: 5-star prospect, Nation's No. 4 overall prospect, No. 2 offensive tackle 

Notable: Neal was No. 2 behind Green, who could be a first-round pick at guard this year. 

Junior season highlights 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations


Published
Andrew Nemec, SBLive Sports
ANDREW NEMEC, SBLIVE SPORTS

Andrew Nemec covers national high school recruiting and brings more than a decade of experience. Andrew hosts "Recruiting with Andrew Nemec" on ESPN-affiliate 1080 The FAN in Portland, Oregon. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Oregon.