NFL/Giants Brian Baldinger was a huge fan of the Evan Neal pick for the New York Giants.
In less than a month, the New York Giants will get to evaluate their rookie draft picks in a training camp setting. Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and minicamps provide a decent first impression, but the intensity level rises at training camp and rookies must respond.
The brain trust led by Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll selected 11 players in this year’s draft, and one of them came in at No. 1 on a ranking of “The Top 10 BEST Picks in the 2022 NFL Draft” by popular NFL Analyst Brian Baldinger.
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If you’re familiar with “Baldy Breakdowns” and know his affinity for offensive linemen, it should come as no surprise that the player in question is offensive tackle Evan Neal, who the Giants selected out of Alabama with the No. 7 overall pick.
Here’s Baldinger’s full Top 10, via the NFL’s official YouTube channel (skip to the 9:00 mark for his Neal breakdown):
The breakdown begins with Neal in pass protection at left tackle at Alabama, then shows what he can do for the running game. Baldinger describes him as a “big, old elephant” and a “knee-bender” in his analysis.
“Watch what he does. He takes everybody for a ride,” Baldinger says in the video. “He’s just his own moving van company. Just put the piano on his back and just take it right out of the house. He moves people.”
The Giants had one of the worst offenses in the NFL last year, ranking 31st (out of 32 teams) in both points scored and yardage gained. They also ranked 31st in rushing touchdowns with just eight scores on the ground in 2021.
As quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley both look to bounce back in a new offense under Daboll’s leadership, Neal’s blocking will be key to their success.
“The Giants got a good one,” Baldinger said of Neal. “[He’s] probably gonna line up and play right tackle for a long time for Big Blue.”
Andrew Thomas Named Giants’ Most Underrated Player
Meanwhile, on the left side of the Giants’ offensive line, Andrew Thomas is getting some love heading into Year 3. In a special piece for ESPN, the Football Outsiders staff recently identified Thomas as the franchise’s most underrated player.
Here’s what they wrote about Thomas, via ESPN:
Thomas is underrated by association. He was part of one of the league’s worst offensive lines last year. Thomas allowed 2.5 sacks and blew 19 blocks, but that was a massive upgrade from the five and 42 that were given up in 2020. He also ranked in the top 10 for ESPN’s run block win rate. But, stuck on a unit that needed a ton of retooling this offseason, there wasn’t much talk surrounding his improvement.
Thomas was the fourth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but now that Evan Neal is in the mix, he does seem to be flying under the radar a bit. Together, Thomas and Neal should make for a formidable set of bookends.
Important Giants Training Camp Dates
The Giants will report to training camp later this month. Twelve of their practice sessions will be open to the public, with the first one scheduled for July 27. The final open practice is scheduled for Aug. 14. Here’s a full list of open practice dates.
The Giants will play three preseason games (at New England Patriots, vs. Cincinnati Bengals, at New York Jets) during the month of August. The regular season begins for the Giants on Sep. 11, with a trip to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans at 4:25 p.m. ET.