Former Alabama Tackle is Making Waves During Summer Camp
As OTAs are ending and many NFL training camps are about to start, rookie offensive tackle for the New York Giants, Evan Neal has shown many people around the organization that he will be successful at the highest level for a long period of time.
In a recent statement from NFL.com, writer Chad Reuter made a prediction indicating that along with his fellow rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux, he would finish this upcoming NFL season on the All-Rookie team. This statement is not outlandish because he will most likely start the season as one of the best players on the Giants offensive line that struggled at times to protect its young quarterback Daniel Jones.
The 6'7, 340 lb offensive lineman showcased his talents last season while playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide. While the rest of the unit that he was playing along the line with showed much inconsistency throughout the season, Neal served as the player that Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young could always rely on to protect his blind side at left tackle.
Because of his efforts with this unit, he was selected as a semi-finalist for the Outland and Lombardi Awards and was named to the All-SEC first team. Neal's dominance throughout the season on the Tide culminated in a selection to the 2021 All-American team.
The Giants drafted Neal with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and hope that he can continue his string of excellence and consistency. Neal is known first as a pass blocker by trade, and with the league progressing more in that direction his talents will continue to prove very useful to the Giants during his rookie campaign.
Neal will have to compete with a few other standout tackles selected in this year's draft to accomplish the feat of joining the All-Rookie team. Two other tackles were chosen in the top 10 and they were Mississippi State's Charles Cross who was selected by the Seattle Seahawks and NC State's Ikem Elwonu drafted one sport ahead of Neal by the Carolina Panthers.