New York Giants right tackle Evan Neal has had an up-and-down start to his professional career. There have been some really impressive moments and others he’d like to forget.
That’s just life as a rookie.
But on Monday night, in front of the entire country, Neal will face his toughest test of the entire season: Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.
Parsons is a dominant player who is looking to rewrite the record books this year, while Neal is just trying to get his feet under him. But don’t think for a second the first-round pick is intimidated.
“He’s a football player just like me. He puts his pants on one leg at a time just like me, straps up his shoulder pads one strap at a time just like me, and he’s a really good player,” Neal told reporters on Thursday. “Excited to go against him for sure.
“That’s why you always dream of playing in the NFL, to go against the best players. Micah’s a great player. He’s really fast, the guy runs a 4.3.”
If the Giants wish to start 3-0 on the season, Neal (and left tackle Andrew Thomas) are going to need to win more one-on-one’s than they lose. Through two weeks, that has not been the case for Parson’s opponents.
“He’s an elusive pass rusher. He’s really crafty,” Neal said. “He’s a very athletic guy and he’s slippery so a lot of times it’s hard for, they play him everywhere. They line him up literally everywhere, he’s a Swiss army knife for their defense, so that’s really what kind of makes it tough to prepare for him.”
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