Giants Mailbag: The Evan Neal Shift & The Logic Against an OBJ Reunion

Welcome to the weekly New York Giants On SI Reader Mailbag! From offseason moves to game-day strategies, nothing is off-limits. So, let's dive right into your questions!

Is it possible that they move Faalele to left guard, put Sisi at right guard, and release Runyan? For saving money and getting bigger, stronger , and younger up front? — Dan G (via Threads)

Dan, anything is possible. I think you meant to ask whether your scenario is realistic. And as of right now, I would say no, it’s not realistic.

Mauigoa has played 10 snaps at guard in his college career, though he did say he started to cross-train at the spot. Faalele has played one snap at left guard in his pro career. I don't know how much time he has spent practicing at left guard.

What I do think is more realistic is that the Giants move Evan Neal to compete with Runyan at left guard, which quite frankly, they should have done years ago instead of continuing to insist he stay on the right side. And I think Mauigoa and Faalele will be the headline competitors for the right guard spot.

How do you feel about our defense before the end of the draft? – Joe G.

Joe, I’m answering your question after the draft since I wanted to have a complete picture . As I’ve told others, you have to see what you’re evaluating. I know what they want this defense to be, but right now, it just looks good on paper. I won’t call this a championship defense until I see it in pads.

Do I think they’ve upgraded their talent? Yes. Am I intrigued by some of what I think they’re going to do on the defense (of which I’ll have a piece about later in the week)? Yes. But I need to see if it all comes together.

Trophies aren’t handed out to teams in April. Let it all come together, and let me see if maybe someone steps up that the coaches weren’t expecting to, and that person offers a new wrinkle. Then we can circle back to this question.

What have you heard about Jermod McCoy and why he is sliding… is the injury that bad?
— Mike Hall (@michael_hall341) April 25, 2026

I'm sure concerns about his medical were a factor. I think had that not been in the discussion, McCoy might have gone a lot sooner in the draft than he did.

Please remind me. Why does everyone think Kevon needs to be traded? #askPTrain
— Jeff Cope (@JeffCope_) April 25, 2026

Jeff, I can't speak for "everyone's" opinions. But what I will say is that people probably see the potential cap savings ($14.75 million) as a big reason why the Giants should move Thibodeaux.

I suspect others see a guy who, largely due to injuries, hasn't produced pass-rush numbers as a top-five draft pick should.

But how much of that is due to the injuries, the scheme, and the back end of the defense? No one really discusses that, just like no one really talks about how solid Thibodeaux is against the run.

#askptrain So, no that D x is gone & they are not picking again until the 6th round. What is the plan at DT? I expect DJ Reader to be signed. Do you think they will add a second Vet to the roster ?
— Elo H (@elo_bajo) April 25, 2026

I think you answered your own question there, Elo. And yes, I could see the Giants signing two veteran defensive linemen after the draft. And don't forget that you also have undrafted free agents who are coming in, so who knows? Maybe one of those guys will turn into the next John Randle.

With the Malachi Fields pick, what does this do for the WR room in terms of Slayton or a potential OBJ reunion?
— Mike English (@MikeEnglish3) April 25, 2026

Mike, we discussed a bit about the receivers who probably have something to worry about in this article. As for a potential OBJ reunion, from a business perspective, I do not see where it makes sense for them to bring him back.

He's played for 12 seasons and was out of football last year. He is not the same player he was when he was first here. He hasn't had a 1,000-yard receiving season since 2019.

About the only value I think he might bring is that he's matured since his early days here, and maybe he can share some of the missteps he made with the younger players to help them avoid the same mistakes.

But is that worth tying up a roster spot on a guy who probably isn't going to have a high volume of pass targets, who doesn't give you much if anything on special teams, and who, if you're not giving a veteran salary benefit deal to (which I doubt would be the case), will cost you a minimum of $1.345 million on your cap just for the base salary alone?

I don't think so, but hey, if John Harbaugh feels otherwise, I support the decision and look forward to seeing OBJ again.

Coach Gene has been a proponent of moving Evan Neal to Left Guard as he feels he is better on the left side of the line. Do you think something the Giants consider now?
— Howard Centro (@centro72474) April 25, 2026

I think it's something they should consider, and why they didn't do so last year when they had the chance is just mind-blowing, to be honest. Neal played the bulk of his college snaps at either left tackle or left guard, so you would assume that his tape at that position was what the Giants fell in love with.

So why go trying to change that when many offensive linemen have said that switching sides is like changing which hand you write with?

If I remember correctly, the starting left guards in 2022 were Shane Lemieux and Ben Bredeson. You mean to tell me the coaches that year didn't think Neal, a first-round pick and the seventh overall pick in the draft, wasn't good enough to beat out either one of those two?

The whole situation, quite honestly, reminds me of how Jerry Reese once stood before the media and insisted that Ereck Flowers was a left tackle, even when anyone with two working eyes and a brain could see that wasn't his best position.

Will the Arvelle Reese (NYG Pick 5) pick be defined by comparisons between his career and the career of Sonny Styles (WSH Pick 7)? #askPTrain
— James L. McMahan Jr. (iJames) (@theijames) April 24, 2026

Probably. That's what people tend to do, I guess. But should that be the case? It really depends on how each player is deployed in their respective teams' defenses. I just hope the two young men go on to have long, injury-free and productive careers.

Will you be addressing the steve tisch situation? If you have already can you point me to where i can read it? Thanks #bigblue
— Shawn (@slavs06) April 25, 2026

Certainly. The topic has appeared under my byline here, here, and here. I also remember speaking about it on one of the Locked On Giants squad shows, but alas, a Google search did me no good in finding the exact episode to point you to, though I vividly remember the topic having come up.

I believe it was sometime in early to mid-February should you want to go back and hear what I said.

Barkley, McKinney, Williams, Love, Jones, and now Dexter Lawrence. There are a decent number of former Giants (mostly draft picks) playing well and contributing to successful teams. Is this a result of the coaching and GM turnover? Do you think they finally have a solid coaching staff and management staff? Has ownership learned anything? -- Howard D.

Howard, each situation you've listed has a different background, so there isn't a one-size-fits-all reason for why those players moved on.

To your question regarding former draft picks playing well for other teams, every player you mentioned, with the exception of Daniel Jones, developed reasonably well while with the Giants.

And yes, I do think the Giants have a solid coaching staff to get the most out of its roster moving forward. Hopefully, ownership will stick with this staff for the foreseeable future.

@Patricia_Traina #askPTrain

Pat, now the draft and FA is almost over, do you feel the Giants “on paper” upgraded the talent? What other moves do you see coming ??
— Bill Frantz (@feihc53) April 25, 2026

Bill, I am not sure if you meant veteran free agents, UDFAs, or what--we have a tracker that we'll be updating accordingly.

I think the needs are rather obvious, though whether they can find the right guys is another story. In my mind, the most pressing needs are defensive line, center, safety, and running back.

After the draft, what free agents do you see the Giants signing? Not UDFA’s.
— Kris Kauffeld (@dublk52) April 25, 2026

Kris, defesive lineman D.J. Reader is someone I'd look for them to sign and I also wouldn't be shocked if they added Shelby Harris.

As for others, to be honest I haven't really looked of late to see who's out there who would fit the positions that I believe to be still a need (as mentioned in the reply above). Been too wrapped up with the draft.

That said, I can't imagine they're going to sign a lot more veteran free agents, at least not this year.

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