Can Evan Neal Take a Giant Leap Forward in Year 2?

The Giants are hoping second-year tackle Evan Neal bounces back from a rocky rookie season.

Author:
Hunter De Siver
Publish date:
Jun 22, 2023 10:00 AM EDT

In this story:

Evan Neal, Offensive Tackle

Height: 6-foot-7 | Weight: 350 pounds
2022 Stats: GP 13 / GS 13. 738 snaps (86 percent). Seven sacks allowed. Six false starts.

In his final season at the University of Alabama, right tackle Evan Neal allowed just two sacks and 15 pressures, earning consensus All-American honors.

Neal was gaining recognition throughout his stellar 2021 season and was among the top three in mock drafts, and at some points, he was No. 1.

The New York Giants selected Neal with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, hoping he’d make a massive impact in the trenches. It was uncertain if he’d fall to them, especially since they had already selected edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux with the No. 5 overall pick.

Unfortunately, according to Pro Football Focus, Neal struggled during his rookie campaign, allowing seven sacks and committing six false starts. Already there have been some whispers of NEal being a bust, but what Neal has going for him is that the guy on the other side of the line, Andrew Thomas, went through a similar story as a rookie only to develop into a premier left tackle.

Giants fans are hoping Neal follows the same path.

Best Case Scenario

An Andrew Thomas-type turnaround is Neal’s best-case scenario, and he began the process just a few weeks after the season ended.

Neal spent the off-season training with former three-time All-Pro offensive tackle Willie Anderson, who worked with him to find a comfortable stance.

Neal, who takes his job very seriously, refused to lay the blame for his struggles on flipping from the left side to the right as a rookie or any remnants of the knee injury he suffered midway through last season.

Meanwhile, the Giants are optimistic that they will see a much-improved player who can serve as the bookend to Thomas.

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Worst Case Scenario

Being a top-10 pick puts a lot of pressure on players. They’re given the expectation of being a Week 1 starter that makes an immediate impact. However, like most top-10 picks in the game's history, it doesn’t usually work out that way.

Neal is only entering his second season, but the pressure for him not to end up as most top-10 picks who have failed will double. If he continues to play how he did last season, backup right tackles Tyre Phillips, and Devery Hamilton are patiently waiting in line.

Thomas made some improvements in his second season, but his third season is what put him on the map. The Giants need Neal to follow suit; it could make for an interesting dilemma if he doesn't.

What to Expect in 2023

Like last season, Neal is expected to be the Week 1 starter. He has continued to work on developing a comfort level working from the right side, as well as fine-tuning his knowledge of the game and how opponents tend to attack him.

The Giants need Neal to be the player they thought he could be. The young man is up to the challenge, but until he does it with the pads on, there will continue to be questions about whether the Giants made a mistake by selecting him with the seventh overall pick.