For New York Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal, any role on the team’s depth chart will be worth embracing next season.
Neal struggled mightily in 2023. He was a culprit for the Giants’ offensive line getting off to a rocky start that would culminate in them giving up 85 sacks on the campaign, the second-most single-season sacks in NFL history. Though Neal earned a putrid 39.8 player grade from Pro Football Focus for committing five penalties and allowing two sacks on the year across a mere seven games played, he will get another chance to run things back in New York.
Giants OL Evan Neal wants to be as coachable as possible in 2024
Per Patricia Traina of New York Giants on SI, the Alabama product is out to milk every ounce of whatever role he inherits with New York this summer:
“Whatever role that the team has for me, I’m going to embrace it,” Neal said in his first public comments since his injury ended his season last year.
“Whether that’s starting or not starting, I’m here to contribute to the team, and I’m going to do everything in my power to do so.”
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Neal may not have fully fallen out of favor with the Giants’ staff
In the Giants’ quest to ensure that starting quarterback Daniel Jones gets all the protection he needs to round back into form after tearing his ACL in Week 9 of the 2023 campaign, Neal may be an option they deploy on occasion, though his status with the first string is uncertain. Giants head coach Brian Daboll had this to say after Sunday’s practice about Neal’s progress and what that’ll mean for him in time on their developing roster:
“We’re just getting it back here out in individuals. So, he’s got a long way to go in terms of being off for a while and (he’ll) go out there and start competing,” Daboll said.
The Giants’ signal caller remained non-committal, which could suggest that Neal may see time in the starting rotation in 2024, or be featured in a committee at one of the vacant offensive line spots.
