To say that Evan Neal hasn’t quite panned out for the New York Giants to this point would be a drastic understatement. But it seems as if the organization isn’t quite fully done with him just yet, making only last decision on Wednesday to help revitalize his career.
Coming into the NFL, Neal appeared as if he may be as sure of a can’t miss prospect as any offensive lineman in recent memory. But that clearly hasn’t come to fruition, losing his starting job at right tackle to Jermaine Eluemunor last season.
Neal won’t get the chance to get his starting right tackle position back in 2025. But he will instead get a chance to compete for the starting right guard instead, as he will be changing positions, which was first reported by Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
While the guard position is new to Neal in the NFL, it is not completely new to him, as he did play left guard in his freshman season at Alabama before shifting over to right tackle and then to left tackle for the Crimson Tide.
Ultimately, it gives Neal one last chance to play a role for the Giants, who opted not to pick up his fifth year option, meaning that he is set to become a free agent after the 2025 season.
Only time will tell whether Neal will ultimately earn the starting right guard job. But we have seen similar situations before in the NFL. Mekhi Becton, a former first-round pick in his own right, ended up turning his career around this past season after moving from left tackle to guard for the Philadelphia Eagles, playing a role on their Super Bowl-winning team.
So at the very least, Neal has a blueprint of how to approach things in his new position.