The New York Giants are planning a move to save the career of one of their most infamous draft busts. RT Evan Neal has not met expectations since being drafted seventh overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Entering the 2025 offseason, a position change seems to be on the horizon for Neal as he and the Giants make a last-ditch effort to turn things around.
Evan Neal is reportedly “open” to playing guard
According to Patricia Traina of Sports Illustrated, Schoen told the media that Neal is “open” to moving to guard. Traina added that Neal will likely need to make the transition “if he wants to stay” with the Giants, considering the moves they made to improve at right tackle in free agency.
Neal’s best chance to play in 2025 is at right guard
The Giants signed free agents James Hudson III and Stone Forsythe, two backup offensive linemen who likely will contribute primarily at right tackle. These additions crowd the position, giving Neal stiff competition and indicating they likely don’t include him in their plans at right tackle. Jermaine Eluemunor is projected to maintain the starting job.
The more likely path for Neal to see playing time this season would be at right guard. New York was expected to make an addition to that position, but ultimately ran out of spending power in free agency. Instead, they opted to retain a pair of veterans in Greg Van Roten and Aaron Stinnie.
With no free agency upgrade at right guard, that position could be open for Neal’s taking. The former 2022 first-round pick does have some experience playing guard, though, not at the professional level. He started at left guard during his freshman season at Alabama.
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Since entering the league, Neal has struggled to put it together at right tackle. Injuries have held him back, but when he has been healthy and on the field, Neal has been more of a liability than an impact player. He has surrendered 98 pressures and 12 sacks and committed 18 penalties on 1,078 pass-blocking snaps across three seasons.
The Giants would like to see Neal turn things around and give them a positive return on their former top-10 investment. However, the likelihood of that happening at right tackle seems slim. A move to guard would be best for both parties.