It’s now or never for former New York Giants first-round draft choice, Evan Neal.
Neal, chosen by the Giants No. 7 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, is competing for snaps at offensive guard after a disappointing first three seasons of his career at offensive tackle, and doing so after New York declined t pick up the 24-year-old’s fifth-year option.
With a pivotal training camp approaching, Bleacher Report NFL analyst Damian Parson lists Neal as one of the six players across the league facing a make-or-break 2025 NFL season.
“Without a long-term contract extension,” Parson writes of Neal for B/R. “Neal is entering a pivotal year ahead of unrestricted free agency. Combine that with playing a position he’s never taken snaps at in the NFL, and Neal has much to prove.
“If he can carve out a long-term role as a starting interior offensive lineman, his career will be salvaged. Neal’s strengths should be amplified inside at guard, and his weaknesses can be mitigated as much as possible.”
Neal has battled through injuries and never quite found his footing at right tackle, opposite homegrown All-Pro Andrew Thomas, and the Giants are hoping that the traits he showed at Alabama will translate to guard.
Last season, Neal posted a dismal 49.6 pass-protection grade from Pro Football Focus, while allowing two sacks and 17 quarterback pressures, but the belief within the organization is that he could benefit from playing alongside veteran tackle Jermaine Eluemunor rather than facing the pressure of facing the top edge rushers at tackle.
It could take a big year from Neal to either secure a long-term deal from the Giants or position himself as a coveted free agent capable of fetching a top-of-market contract elsewhere next offseason.
Stage Could be Set for Evan Neal Comeback
Luke Hales | GettyThe 2025 season is pivotal for Evan Neal as the Giants former first-round pick aims to salvage his career.
Neal finds himself in unfamiliar territory, having exclusively played offensive tackle dating back to changing positions back in 2019 at Tuscaloosa.
The 6-foot-7 and 340-pound Neal is also hoping to play his way back into the coaching staff’s good graces, after being benched at one point early last season and essentially finding himself in a reserve role for much of the 2024 campaign.
However, initial returns from a spring spent taking reps at both left and right guard, have been positive for Neal.
“He’s doing well so far. Excited to see when we put pads on what happens, but he’s embraced it, we’ve embraced it, it’s been good so far,” offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo told the New York Post. “Throughout the NFL, plenty of guys have moved from tackle to guard, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Neal will look to parlay an impressive spring into winning a starting job from veteran right guard Greg Van Roten, and if he does, having experience practicing at both guard positions can only be beneficial.
“I think when you look at the job description in our system for the guard, can he create movement at the line of scrimmage? Can he keep the interior firm in pass protection? We’ve seen Evan do it before. We need the flashes to be consistent,” Brown told reporters this spring.
“He’s been fully bought in with the move. Just knowing that leaning on your strengths, there are not that many men that are as big as he is inside at guard and playing with better balance. Carm (Bricillo) and James (Ferentz) have been working with him throughout this spring. Evan is putting in his work.”
Training camp, and full contact drills leading into the postseason will likely set the trajectory of Neal’s season and what the Giants can expect from a former top-10 pick aiming to salvage his career.
Giants Draft Pick Lands on Make-or-Break List for 2025 NFL Season