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Former New York Giants first-round pick Evan Neal is making a position switch this summer from offensive tackle to guard. It’s not a natural progression for a 6-foot-7, 340-pound player who is seen as a prototypical tackle.
Neal, the seventh overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft out of powerhouse Alabama, was seen as a “cant-miss” prospect who somehow missed. Injuries and underperformance have caused the Giants to move off of Neal and try him somewhere else along the line.
It would be a real boon for Big Blue if Neal could make the transition. On Thursday, assistant general manager Brandon Brown spoke about how the experiment was going thus far at organized team activities (OTAs).
“I think when you look at the job description in our system for the guard, can he create movement at the line of scrimmage? Can he keep the interior firm in pass protection? We’ve seen Evan do it before. We need the flashes to be consistent,” Brown told reporters.
“He’s been fully bought in with the move. Just knowing that leaning on your strengths, there are not that many men that are as big as he is inside at guard and playing with better balance. Carm (Bricillo) and James (Ferentz) have been working with him throughout this spring. Evan is putting in his work.
“We’re excited to see what he shows when the pads come on in training camp. Excited to see that he has the physical tools and skill set to transition inside. We just need to see it consistently.”
Neal has all been written off by fans and pundits after three seasons as a bust. The Giants’ effort to salvage his career with a position change is being seen as a longshot. Although his path is clear and he will be given every opportunity to win a spot, it’s difficult to see Neal pulling this off.
Brown believes Neal’s size, strength and natural ability will work to his advantage.
“He’s a big man,” Brown said. “When you look at the prototype size, you can look throughout the league, offensive lines like Baltimore, et cetera. There are guys, some of the guys in Philly, that are larger than the typical prototype.”
Brown highlighted that Neal’s quickness didn’t work for him at tackle but may work for him at guard.
“What is the job description and the technique? If you’re asking him to pull out in space and do a lot of redirecting at the second level, that is not his game,” Brown said. “He’s a power broker. He’s a guy that can create movement. He’s a guy that can absorb power, anchor in pass protection. We have to keep improving the technique, work on his hand usage and his balance. (Offensive line coaches James Ferentz and Carmen Bricillo) are committed to that.”
Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka also chimed in on Neal’s progress at Thursday’s OTA.
“Evan is doing a nice job,” Kafka said. “He’s in transition. He did it in college. And again, just like the nature of the camp. It’s not a full-padded camp, but there is a lot of fundamentals you can work, individual drills, pass set drills, and Evan is doing a nice job. Happy for him.”
During Thursday’s session, Neal even took some first-team reps at guard.
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