Getty New York Giants right tackle Evan Neal in Week 2.
New York Giants first-round selection Evan Neal has not lived up to his draft status since entering the NFL with 72 quarterback pressures allowed and a sub-55.0 run-blocking grade over 17 starts according to Pro Football Focus.
Despite those struggles, he felt confident enough to let loose on the franchise’s critics within the fanbase on October 4. “They were booing us, so I said, ‘Boo louder!’” Neal told NJ Advance Media’s Darryl Slater on the Wednesday after the Monday Night Football embarrassment against the Seattle Seahawks.
“Why would a lion concern himself with the opinion of a sheep?” Neal went on, per Slater. “The person that’s commenting on my performance, what does he do? Flip hot dogs and hamburgers somewhere?”
The surprising remarks from the 23-year-old starter show a concerning lack of awareness in a situation like this — where the fanbase is already on the edge of turning on this roster. If his on-field struggles didn’t push Neal past the point of no return in the eyes of the average Giants supporter, this tirade certainly might.
“That just further shows that people are fair-weather,” Neal voiced regarding the booing fans on Monday night. “A lot of fans are bandwagoners. I mean, I get it: They want to see us perform well. And I respect all of that. But no one wants us to perform well more than we do.”
Continuing: “And how can you say you’re really a fan when we’re out there battling our asses off — and the game wasn’t going well — but the best you can do is boo your home team? So how much of a fan are you, really?”
Giants RT Evan Neal Admits Booing Fans Got Under His Skin vs. Seahawks
Later in the Q&A, a reporter asked whether the boos upset Neal, and Slater shared his response once again.
“Would it upset you if someone that’s a fan of you is booing you as you’re typing out your articles and as you’re doing your work?” He replied. “Would it piss you off? You’re a human, ain’t you?”
The questioning response was as close to an admission as Big Blue nation will probably get, but it doesn’t make his reaction any better.
“This is not a good approach for a young player in this market,” ESPN NYG beat reporter Jordan Raanan stated after reading Slater’s article with NJ.com. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan also responded candidly: “Oh, boy. This is NOT the smart approach for a player in Neal’s position.” And SNY’s Connor Hughes simply said, “holy cow,” in utter shock.
The closing remarks from Neal? “Most critics really don’t understand the game of football to the level that we understand it in this building. So why would a lion concern himself with the opinion of a sheep? I’m just going to focus on Evan — and getting better. I honestly do not care what anybody has to say about Evan Neal, because they’re going to talk anyway,” he voiced according to Slater.
Concluding: “At the end of the day, I put a lot of good things on film. But people are going to go and find the bad reps, and that’s what they’re going to highlight. That’s what they’re going to put out there. I can’t control that. So why should I care?”
Giants’ Evan Neal Has Been Worse Than Ex-NYG Draft Bust Ereck Flowers, Statistically Speaking
Again, Neal has not been good to start his pro football career. That’s not opinion, that’s fact according to an established and trusted grading site like PFF that NFL teams actually purchase data and analysis from.
After the game on October 2, New York Post reporter Ryan Dunleavy pointed out that “PFF numbers suggest [former NYG draft bust Ereck] Flowers > [was better than] Neal at this early point in their [respective] careers.”
Dunleavy went on, listing several areas where Flowers’ disappointing start has Neal beat, including overall grade, run-blocking marks, total sacks allowed as a rookie, and projected sacks and quarterback pressures allowed in 2023 if he continues at his current pace.
The one area that he bested Flowers was QB pressures allowed as a rookie, but year two is not off to a great start in that regard.
Flowers briefly turned his career around at guard but has been out of the league since the 2022 offseason. Assuming he does not return, the failed OT prospect lasted seven years in the NFL.
As for Neal, the young man appears to think he’s making progress as a player. “I know I’m improving,” the prospect told Slater and NJ Advance Media. “I’m going to continue to get better.”