Right tackle Evan Neal, in his first start since November 5 of last season, was the highest-graded offensive player for the New York Giants in their 20-17 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany on Sunday.
The highest-graded Giants in Week 10 vs the Panthers:
🥇 Dru Phillips – 88.2
🥈 Brian Burns – 85.1
🥉 Evan Neal – 80.6
🏅 Cor'Dale Flott – 77.8
🏅 Greg Van Roten – 76.7 pic.twitter.com/6gH8plsyHt— PFF NY Giants (@PFF_Giants) November 11, 2024
Neal was inserted at right tackle this week after Jermaine Eluemunor was moved from there over to the left side as the Giants continue to find the right mix in the wake of the season-ending injury to Andrew Thomas.
Neal played all 75 offensive snaps on Sunday and graded well in all phases of the game.
Evan Neal has the highest in-game PFF grade for the Giants offense
🟩 72.1 Overall
🟩 70.2 Pass Block
🟩 73.0 Run Block
pic.twitter.com/ykC4TR2sgb— All-22 (@All22_PFF) November 10, 2024
“It felt good to get back out there and play again after a year,” Neal said, via the New York Post. “I’m just grateful. Not every play was perfect. I didn’t play a perfect game. I’m sure there’s going to be things I’m going to back on tape and see and correct. But I think it was a solid overall outing for my first outing.”
Eluemunor made it known that he was not in favor of the switch, preferring to stay at right tackle, but the team has been reluctant to put Neal on the left side. So, it was Eluemunor who had to make the move.
“It’s hard to switch sides like that. It’s not the most comfortable thing,” Eluemunor told The Post. “I tell people it’s like you’ve been writing with your right hand for a long time and out of nowhere they tell you, you gotta write an essay with your left hand and it’s due on Saturday and you have three days to freaking learn how to write with your left hand.”
In the end, Eluemunor had a rough go in his first action at left tackle this season allowing seven pressures, four hurries, two QB hits, and a sack but that was likely expected.
Eluemunor has played left tackle in recent years with his previous team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Last year, he played 125 snaps there and 66 in 2022.
