NY Giants OL Evan Neal Fully Embracing His New Role at Guard

They often say, "What a difference a year can make," but in the case of New York Giants offensive lineman Evan Neal, who has been in the process of transitioning from tackle to guard this summer, it's been more of an impressive few months.

Neal, one of the Giants' two first-round picks three years ago, just hasn't had the easiest entrance to the NFL since his debut in 2022. He was a player who came in with heavy expectations after building an impeccable All-American resume as an elite blindside blocker at Alabama.

As he was elevated to the pros after being selected No. 7 overall by the Giants that April, it's been nothing but endless challenges for the young man. Injuries have reared their ugly head in each of his first three stints, limiting him to 13 games or less, and hanging in with some of the league's best edge rushers has often been a struggle during his starting duties at right tackle.

One could say the 24-year-old Neal's tenure with the Giants franchise was heading for a crossroads after a miserable season in 2024 that saw him play in only nine games, mostly in reserve work, and finish as the fourth-lowest graded pass protector on the entire offensive line in that span.

More importantly, ahead of a contract year that could dictate whether he is viewed as a successful pick or a bust for the current regime, big changes had to come in his fourth rodeo. 

It started with Neal aggressively attacking his physical health, and he tapped into his old roots at the IMG Academy to help him ramp up his conditioning during the offseason.

Now, just several days into the Giants' training camp practices in East Rutherford, the next step has been embracing a new role on the inside of the front at guard, something that Neal insists he didn't need much reasoning to accept to help the team win.

"I’m just focused on playing football," Neal said after the Giants' second padded practice on Tuesday.

"I still have an opportunity in this league, and I’m grateful for that. The acceptance part of it, that was never in my head, because at the end of the day, I’m just grateful to still be able to play the game that I love."

While Neal's journey of moving to the guard position began in OTAs and minicamp, the first real test of his progress was waiting for the pads to come on at camp this week. 

He has spent time rotating between the left and right holes with the first and second team groups, and has held his own in select one-on-one matchups even against the team's best rushers, like Abdul Carter.

Head coach Brian Daboll has been one of the many people in the organization to hand Neal his due praise for how he has handled the shift.

"I think Evan has steadily improved playing inside," Daboll said. "Things happen a little quicker there. He's a big man, so he's done a nice job on his double teams and getting movement, and it was good to see him out there in one-on-ones at the guard spot. (We) look for him to continue to improve."

Neal Credits His Intangibles to Guiding His New Role