guard at this point in time. Neal, 23, continues to experience setback after setback, with head coach Brian Daboll suggesting he’s rehabilitating and not ready to make a return just yet from ankle surgery earlier this off-season.
The Giants Should Be Looking For Any Value From Evan Neal
Neal has been working on the side with trainers as he continues his progression towards competing during training camp. However, Neal isn’t expected to participate in the Giants’ joint practices and will likely be sidelined for the next few weeks at the very least. The 6-foot-7, 350-pound offensive lineman has played 1322 offensive snaps. During his rookie season, he played 862, allowing 52 pressures and eight sacks, all of which came at right tackle.
Last year, Neal suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of the season prematurely, playing 460 snaps, giving up 29 pressures and two sacks before exiting in Week 9 against Las Vegas, and didn’t make another appearance the rest of the year.
It would be optimistic to suggest Neal has shown signs of competency, but his poor reaction timing and mobility off the edge against faster pass rushers have been evident. Teams have routinely dismantled him without much of a problem, leading the Giants to sign Jermaine Eluemunor in free agency, who will likely start at right tackle in the meantime.
The Giants Need to Face the Music
The truth is that Neal’s growth has been stunted significantly, and the Giants have prepared for the worst-case scenario. The blame can be attributed to injury and former offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, who did nothing to spark any development for the top-10 pick.
At this point, the Giants need to be preparing for a reality that doesn’t include Neal in it. At least, find a way to extract value from a player who has underwhelmed at right tackle over his first two seasons.
