The New York Giants selected Evan Neal with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. There was a lot of hype around him, his size and athleticism put him at the top of many NFL teams’ draft boards.
But that hype fell flat during Neal’s rookie season. And things got no better in 2023.
It’s not entirely his fault. The Giants’ offense was among the worst in the league and there are definitely 10 other players on the field with Neal. He suffered a concussion, which likely affected his play, but his performance still left the Giants wanting more.
Neal last played on November 5, after which it was revealed he had fractured his ankle and required surgery, ending his season.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen told reporters on Monday that he still has faith in Neal and expects him to work hard this offseason, but stopped short of guaranteeing him a starting job.
“We’ll go through all those conversations over the next couple weeks,” Schoen told reporters. “Evan worked his tail off last offseason, he came in in great shape, had a good start to camp. He had a concussion, you know, so I expect him to attack this offseason the same way and we’ll see how it plays out.”
That doesn’t mean Neal won’t start, but it does mean that the front office is looking at every option to improve the offense. And it could be that he does earn that starting spot, but the message is clear: The offensive line needs work and players will have to fight for their spot this offseason.
