When the New York Giants selected Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal seventh overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, Joe Schoen likely thought he had himself a staple of the offensive line for the next decade.
Instead, four years later, Neal’s fifth-year option was declined, and he hasn’t played a snap all season long for the Giants.
Neal’s tenure with New York has been disappointing, to state the obvious. He has not lived up to his draft positioning and is very obviously about leave the Giants in free agency.
But the former Crimson Tide standout says he wouldn’t change a thing about the start of his professional football career.
“No regrets. Everything’s a learning process. There’s lessons to be found in every chapter at every phase of life, so I’m grateful for that,” Neal told the New York Post’s Steve Serby.
Evan Neal Breaks Down His Giants Tenure
In an exclusive interview with the New York Post, Neal was asked why his time with the New York Giants was so disappointing.
“It was a number of things. Injuries, coming in as a young guy, going through different growing pains, having the spotlight of the media at times get in [the] way of a young player’s development,” Neal said to Serby.
“But I can’t just sit here and isolate one thing. I just kinda think things happened the way that they happened. I’m a young player still in this league, I still have an opportunity ahead of me, so I’m just gonna focus on that.”
An impending free agent, Neal will have the opportunity to start fresh somewhere, likely on a one-year, prove-it deal for a team in desperate need of offensive linemen.
“That’s not something I can necessarily speak on now at this time. But at the same time, it’s a business, changes happen all the time.”
The Giants tried several ways to make Neal effective on the offensive line, including playing him at both tackle and guard.
Nothing seemed to work for the Okeechobee, Florida native.
With three games to go, Neal is off the injured reserve and is assumed to be active for the remainder of the season.
We’ll see if the former first-round picks get on the field.
Even a Position Switch Didn’t Work
Entering training camp, the New York Giants had announced that they would be moving Neal from tackle to guard, in the hopes of his play improving.
“I’m just focused on playing football. I still have an opportunity in this league, and I’m grateful for that,” he said in late July.
“The acceptance part of it, that really was never in my head because at the end of the day, I’m just grateful to still be able to play the game that I love.”
Despite his promising comments, Neal was outplayed by Gren Van Roten and Jon Runyan Jr., leading to his role as a reserve player in 2025.
Neal hasn’t played a regular-season snap for the Giants yet this season, and most likely won’t.
In fact, it’s more likely than not he never plays another snap again in New York.
Giants’ First-Round Draft Bust Has ‘No Regrets’ After Failed Tenure