NFL training camp starts towards the end of July, which means players around the league are getting their last bits of offseason work in before the real work of trying to make the roster begins.
For certain players, this season is what some may call “Make or Break,” meaning they need to put together a productive year or they could be looking for employment elsewhere at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
We’ll highlight those players for the Giants, continuing today with offensive tackle Evan Neal.
2022 Stats
– 13 games (all starts)
– Seven sacks surrendered
– Seven offensive penalties
Why Make or Break?
The Giants drafted Neal with the seventh overall pick in April of last year and the plan is obvious. They need Neal and Andrew Thomas to provide them with bookend tackles who can protect Daniel Jones for years to come. Thomas was a second-team all-pro last year and Jones signed a long-term extension in the offseason, so now it’s time for Neal to hold up his end of the bargain.
Neal is still only 22, but the Giants made the postseason last year and need to maximize their chances to compete in a division that includes the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, so they can ill afford to have such an important player continuing to endure growing pains.
Can Neal eventually live up to being a top 10 pick? If he fails to make progress along that path this season, Giants fans could start to become frustrated with him and that will intensify the pressure on him not to end up being considered a draft bust. While there’s no real chance the Giants will give up on Neal yet, even if he struggles, they could end up at the point where they start considering possible alternatives next year.
What will break it?
Neal freely admits that he endured some tough games in 2022 and his struggles will always stand out more when a player like Thomas is performing so well on the other side. If he continues to struggle, the Giants could have to tweak their scheme to give him help and find other ways to mitigate pressure.
Although Neal was inconsistent in the running game, the Giants had one of the best running games in the league last season, but Saquon Barkley was a big reason for this. If Barkley’s ongoing contract dispute affects him in any way due to the distraction, then Neal’s inconsistent play could be more exposed.
Injuries are always going to be a factor, but not just for Neal himself. In 2022, he missed four games with a sprained knee. However, injuries to other players on the line will also have a major impact on the continuity and how the group performs as a unit. If they keep having to change personnel, it’s going to be harder to gel as a group and develop confidence.
What will make it?
The 2022 season was always going to be a learning experience for Neal, who was moving from his preferred position of left tackle to play on the right, in addition to adjusting to the speed and strength of NFL-level opponents. He should be more comfortable with both of these things in his second season, enabling him to focus on his technique and consistency.
Neal has a mature attitude to his approach to the game, taking one game at a time and relishing every challenge and what he can learn from competing with top players. While Thomas hasn’t exactly taken Neal under his wing, the veteran players on the line provide plenty of support and advice and they are a tight-knit group. The fact that Thomas endured his own struggles as a rookie but now has developed into an outstanding player has to give Neal confidence that he can emulate this development curve.