Is NY Giants OL Evan Neal's Future Hanging by a Thread?

The New York Giants, like every other football team, began their annual spring training filled with hopes that every player project for which they’ve set the wheels in motion turned out to be a smashing success.

One such project that appears to have fallen short of that goal is the attempt to convert Evan Neal, the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, from tackle to guard.

The plan was actually in place last summer, except Neal’s surgically repaired ankle put the kibosh on that when he ended up missing most of the spring and practically all of training camp and the preseason.

Still, the hope was that because Neal had played guard in college, the transition wouldn’t be as much of a leap of faith.

While they had him on the field this summer, Neal ended up missing the first preseason game with an injury that he developed in time for the team’s final walkthrough before the game against the Bills.

That put a dent in the team’s plans to get the former Alabama offensive lineman as many live reps as possible.

Neal’s biggest issue remains his clunky footwork, particularly in pass blocking against quick moves at the snap, where he often appears to guess the wrong direction and ends up being beaten.

Neal, per Pro Football Focus, posted a 49 grade in his 46 pass blocking snaps (12th out of 15 Giants offensive linemen). He also allowed five pressures, third-most on the team, for a 94.6 pass-blocking efficiency rating, ranked 14th.

Even worse, Neal, whose strength is run blocking, came up short in that area, his 47.1 run-blocking grade putting him last among the 15 Giants offensive linemen.

Stats aside, the most alarming issue with Neal was that four of his five quarterback pressures came in the preseason finale against the Patriots' backups.

All of this raises a question of what to do with the former first-round draft pick who is in the final year of his rookie contract and who might just need a fresh start with another team.

That, however, seems unlikely to happen this year, as it would be a stunning development if general manager Joe Schoen decides to cut bait on one of his first Giants draft picks, particularly one in the first round for which the team held so much hope in his developing into the long-term fixture at right tackle.

So, what to do with Neal becomes the question. Greg Van Roten will be the starting right guard this season, and it was asked of Giants offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo if a rotation might be in play.

“Yeah, I don't think I would speculate on anything,” Bricillo told reporters before the team’s preseason finale against the Patriots.

Does that mean the team is ready to abandon ship on Neal and let him play out his contract?

“Evan definitely has traits that are good to guard,” Bricillo said. “We just continue to develop 'em,” he said.

That development will need to happen, though, in practice, where Neal, likely to work with the scout team, will continue to face speed rushers like Brian Burns and rookie Abdul Carter as he seeks to smooth out his footwork.

And who knows? Maybe later in the year if there is an injury, Neal, if he makes the team, will be the first off the bench at guard, just as was the case last year when injuries forced the Giants to put him in at right tackle when Jermaine Eluemunor had to step in at left tackle.

Whatever happens, it’s a steep fall from the promise and hopes that the Giants had for a man who is blessed with good size to play in this league, but who has come up way short in the finer points of where he’s been asked to play.

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