There was a lot of optimism this summer surrounding New York Giants offensive lineman Evan Neal.
The former 2022 top-10 pick has failed to live up to expectations through the first three seasons of his career. This offseason, the Giants decided to transition him from right tackle to guard.
This process unfolded throughout training camp as Neal received praise and recognition from the coaching staff, fans, and analysts alike for his improved play during practice.
However, Thurdsay night’s preseason final felt like a major setback for Neal’s progress at guard, as he turned in a performance to forget.
Evan Neal struggled in preseason finale
Neal got the start at right guard against the Patriots, but finished the game as one of the team’s lowest graded players on the offensive side of the ball.
He earned a 53.6 overall Pro Football Focus grade across 35 snaps. His 52.3 pass-blocking grade was the lowest on the team. Neal surrendered four pressures, three hurries, and one quarterback hit.
Giants HC Brian Daboll still showing confidence in Neal
Despite his poor play on Thursday, Giants head coach Brian Daboll offered praise for Neal.
“He’s done some good things, and there’s things we need to work on,” Daboll said. “Obviously, it’s a new spot for him but he had a couple good clean-the-pockets and some movement in the running game.”
Daboll might have seen some positives, but those were hard to find during the broadcast on Thursday, which featured a mid-game lowlight reel of Neal’s mistakes, courtesy of Amazon Prime Video.
Although it was a disappointing ending to the summer for Neal, there is still plenty of time for him to continue developing behind the scenes over the course of the season.
Starting aspirations for Neal may have to be put on pause for now, but there is still hope for his potential as a depth piece on the offensive line.