Giants OT Evan Neal Fires Back at Critics

Neal said he's only interested in the opinions that matter when it comes to his performance.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Aug 20, 2022 9:00 AM EDT

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New York Giants rookie offensive tackle Evan Neal isn't giving a second thought to opinions circulating the internet that he is "top heavy."

The Giants' first-round draft pick, chosen seventh overall, was asked about former NFL defensive end Chris Long's "concern" about Neal being too top-heavy in his first preseason appearance last week against the Patriots.

“I wasn’t a big fan of what I saw from Evan Neal," Long said in a video posted by The 33rd Team.

"It’s the first preseason game, but I thought Evan Neal was top-heavy. I was worried, after watching him, about his ability to anchor a bull [rush] without leaning forward and getting pulled by."

"I don’t really listen to that," Neal said when he was asked about the opinions of others.

"I’m definitely not a finished product, but I’m getting better and better every day. I belong here, I belong in this league, and like I say, I’m just going to take it day by day.

"I like to listen to the opinions that matter," he added.

Long is not the only one who has brought up some of Neal's struggles. Videos of the rookie offensive tackle going against fellow rookie edge usher Kayvon Thibodeaux have also made their way to the internet, particularly those showing Thibodeaux "dominating" Neal in those drills.

And Bleacher Report's Alex Kay, going off of one preseason game in which Neal played minimal snaps, has already made up his mind that the former Alabama offensive lineman is the clear-cut choice for the Giants' most disappointing rookie so far.

Again, Neal took everything in stride.

"I’m going to win reps; I’m going to lose reps. That’s all a part of it. The preseason games and everything and so forth are just extra experiences that I’m going to get under my belt, and I’m going to learn from all those mistakes and learn from the things that I need to get better at," he said.

Neal was jokingly asked if he was willing to step up at center given the team's depth issues because of injuries. The rookie declined, but then turning serious, he said that there was nothing that the coaches have asked of him that he's been uncomfortable doing so far.

"I’m comfortable and confident that I will be able to perform and execute anything that the coaches ask me to do in our scheme and our offense," he said.

"It’s a similar scheme I ran in college, just different verbiage and terminology. I don’t have those kinds of conversations with my coaches because everything they ask me to do is well within my capabilities."

As for becoming that finished product, Neal said he knows what he has to work on and vowed to continue doing so.

"I need to continue to work on the same things that I have been harping on with myself and the things that the coaches have been emphasizing as well," he said.

Such as?

"Just different technical things as far as like set angles, hat placement, and my base. That’s pretty much what I need to work on, things that are definitely going to help propel my game to the next level."