Evan Neal was all-win when head coach Brian Daboll and the New York Giants approached the former first-round draft choice about changing positions from offensive tackle to guard.
“He was all about the team,” Daboll told reporters, following Neal’s first practice in full pads of this training camp after bumping inside.
Neal, 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds, was originally chosen by New York with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has never quite lived up to that billing as a tackle, and after allowing two sacks and 17 pressures last season, according to Pro Football Focus, the Giants bumped him inside where he’s competing for a spot at guard.
Early returns, according to Daboll, have been impressive.
“I think Evan steadily improved playing inside,” Daboll told reporters. “Things happen a little quicker in there. He’s a big man so he’s done a nice job on his double teams and getting movement and it was good to see him out there in one-on-ones at the guard spot. (We) look for him to continue to improve.”
Neal’s mission in 2025 isn’t just to wrangle a starting job, but to level up his play to the point he can finally shake the notion of being a first-round bust, and teammates are already taking notice of his efforts.
“He’s moving stuff back there, man,” running back Tyrone Tracy told reporters. “When I say he’s actively trying to get better. Obviously, he had injuries and stuff that came up, but obviously he’s doing everything he can to get back into it. But E-Neal is doing the best he can, with the opportunities he’s given.”
Giants’ Evan Neal Addresses Position Change
GettyEvan Neal is looking to turn is Giants career around, amid a position change to offensive guard.
For Neal, the challenge of moving to guard, is one that he is taking in stride, as a next step in his football career rather than viewing it as some sort of make-or-break proposition.
If Neal is able to make the transition, his offensive tackle-frame and skill-set could prove to be a major asset for a Giants franchise that has spent years trying to build a dominant offensive line.
This will be the first time that Neal lines up inside since 2019 in Tuscaloosa, a challenge he’s facing head one.
“I think my skillset as an offensive lineman just helps me,” Neal told reporters. “I’m a big guy. I take up a lot of mass, I’m athletic, so when I get my hands on guys, a lot of times I can pretty much shut the rep down and in the run game, I’m explosive and I carry a lot of mass so when I make contact at the point of attack, I get guys moving backwards.”
Neal’s size helped him become a consistent force as a run-blocker last season, posting a strong 80.8 run-blocking grade from Pff, an aspect of his game that will be even more important along the interior.
There’s also a not-so-hidden benefit to moving Neal inside; he’ll no longer be on an island against some of the sport’s premier pass rushers.
As Neal makes the change both for the good of the Giants and in hopes of turning around his own career, the 24-year-old is brimming with confidence and optimism.
“My confidence is great,” Neal explained. “I’m just out there playing football. It’s hot out there, it’s camp, we’re grinding, getting after it, trying to get better every day.”
Abdul Carter Would Fetch Massive Trade Value, NFL Analyst Says
Adam Hunger | GettyRookie edge rusher Abdul Carter is already one of the New York Giants’ most valuable players.
The Giants may have landed the most dominant player in the NFL Draft, selecting explosive edge rusher Abdul Carter No. 3 overall this spring.
According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, hypothetically, if the Giants were to shop the former All-American out of Penn State, New York could fetch at least a first-round pick, or maybe more.
“Regarded by some as the best player independent of position in April’s draft class,” Barnwell writes, listing Carter as one of the Giants’ most valuable players. “Carter slipped to the Giants with the No. 3 pick. He was extremely productive in his final college season, racking up 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss. He’s still only 21 years old and plays a premium position. Even though he hasn’t played a down yet, he would land more than a randomly assigned first-rounder if traded.”
Obviously, Carter is not a player the Giants are going to be shopping anytime soon, rather is a foundational building block for a defense New York hopes develops into the backbone of a franchise turnaround.
However, after Carter’s explosive final season in Happy Valley and amid a dominant rookie training camp in East Rutherford, it is a thought provoking exercise to see just how valuable a potentially consistently disruptive pass rusher of his caliber would be on the open market.
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