When the Giants selected Evan Neal seventh overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, it seemed like a perfect fit. After taking Kayvon Thibodeaux with the No. 5 pick to address the defensive line, Joe Schoen turned around and beefed up the offensive line by tabbing Neal, with the Alabama product considered one of, if not the top tackles in his class. In selecting Neal, the Giants could pair him with Andrew Thomas to have two first-round, bookend tackle for years to come.
Three seasons into his pro career, though, Neal has yet to live up to his draft status or really come anywhere close.
After starting 13 games at right tackle as a rookie, Neal suffered an ankle injury that would eventually require surgery. He wasn’t ready for the start of 2024 training camp, and as a result he lost his starting right tackle spot to free agent addition Jermaine Eluemunor. Neal would end up making his way back into the starting lineup for seven games as injuries and inconsistencies forced the Giants to mix and match along the line. But even when Neal did play, he has not very effective.
The 24-year-old now heads into the final year of his rookie contract, and with it all but an absolute certainty that the Giants won’t pick up his fifth-year option, could New York look to trade Neal this offseason?
Let’s dive in…
Why Neal should be traded
Saying things haven’t worked out for Neal in New York would be an understatement. Injuries have limited his availability, but even when he has been healthy, he simply hasn’t been good enough. He also had an infamous spat with fans who had been criticizing his game, and that surely didn’t endear him to the fan base as a whole.
With one year left until free agency, the 2025 season would be Neal’s final year under contract with the Giants, and he’d hit the open market and try to find a new team at the end of the year. Even though he hasn’t performed, it would be very tough for the Giants to just let Neal walk away for nothing after using a first-round pick on him in 2022.
Even if the only thing they can get is a late-round pick or perhaps the old “Neal and a seven for a six” to move up late in the draft, at least the Giants would be getting something back.
Moving on from Neal and finding a different solution at right tackle could be best for the Giants and for Neal, as a change of scenery could perhaps turn his career around.
Nov 5, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants head players walk off the field after the Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Giants 30-6 at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / © Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Why Neal should not be traded
The Giants have tried time and time again to fix their offensive line issues, and they just can’t seem to get it right. Outside of Thomas at left tackle and perhaps John Michael Schmitz at center, the Giants still have holes all over the line and no long-term answers to fill them. If the Giants were to move on from Neal now, they’d just be back to square one at tackle, starting the whole process all over again.
The other thing to consider is that Neal is still just 24 years old. He’s not an over-the-hill veteran who has lost a step or two. While he hasn’t proven himself to this point, there’s still a chance for him to turn things around and become the dominant tackle most draft pundits believed he would be coming out of Alabama. And the Giants can’t afford to let Neal go and see him bud into a star in another uniform.
Plus, there’s a strong chance that the Giants end up drafting a quarterback in the first round in the upcoming draft, meaning they’re not going to use that pick on a tackle. The Giants could draft a right tackle later in the draft or try to find a stopgap veteran on the free agent market, but that would mean the new QB would also have a new right tackle, who will need some time to learn the system, protecting him. That’s not exactly a recipe for success.
Verdict
Cutting ties with a first-round draft pick is never easy. In doing so, teams are basically admitting to making a mistake in the draft. But in Neal’s case, the team and player would both likely benefit from a trade this offseason.
Sure, the Giants may not get a ton back for Neal, but the odds of him re-signing with the team or inking an extension before the end of next season seem very, very slim.
The Giants should get what they can for Neal this offseason, and let someone like Eluemunor — who has another year on his contract — take over at right tackle until a long-term solution is found.
Neal’s best days could still be ahead of him, but it’s difficult to imagine him turning it around in New York.