In his fourth season, Neal will reportedly compete for right guard job
For several months signs have pointed toward Evan Neal transitioning from right tackle to guard for the New York Giants. A post from Paul Schwartz of the New York Post confirms that is indeed what will happen when the Giants begin OTAs next week.
After three difficult seasons at right tackle, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft will line up at right guard this spring. If he shows an aptitude for the position, perhaps he could supplant 35-year-old Greg Van Roten as the starter at that spot.
That would allow the Giants to get some return on investment for picking Neal so early in the draft. It would also turn Van Roten into a quality guard-center backup.
Former Giant center Shaun O’Hara told Schwartz he like the move.
“I think it’s probably the right move,” O’Hara, the starting Giants center on the 2008 Super Bowl championship team, told The Post. “I think last year was a year for him to either prove you can play tackle or you’re gonna have to try to play something else. Knowing the type of kid he is, I think he’s gonna attack it head-on and he’s always had a positive attitude. Now he’s just got to put it all together. He’s got all the tools.”
Neal’s first three seasons with the Giants have been marked by poor performance on the field and too many games spent off the field. In three seasons, he has played in just 29 of a potential 51 regular-season games. In 2022, Neal was graded last by Pro Football Focus among 57 qualifying tackles. In 2023, he was 124th among 136 tackles who played roughly 20% or more of their team’s snaps. In 2024, he was 79th out of 85 qualifiers.
Neal has resisted the idea of a move to guard in the past. In 2023, he famously said “as soon as I stepped out of the womb, I stepped out an offensive tackle.”
It looks like he will be something different for the Giants in 2025.
