The New York Giants were thrilled with what they saw from offensive lineman Evan Neal in Week 10. The former 2022 first-round pick had been absent for the first nine weeks of the season but got his first start in the Giants’ Week 10 loss to the Panthers and played an impressive game.
Giants GM Joe Schoen raves about Evan Neal’s Week 10 performance
Neal was a bright spot for the Giants in their 20-17 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Florida native was recognized for his elevated play protecting their offensive weapons by Giants general manager Joe Schoen at his bye week press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Dan Salomone of Giants.com shared this quote from New York’s top brass regarding his thoughts on Neal’s performance:
“Joe Schoen said Evan Neal played well on Sunday and had good energy,” Salomone posted on X. “He had been practicing at a high level and was able to transition that to the game. ‘What I liked about it is when his number was called, he was ready.’”
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This was only the third game that the 24-year-old talent appeared in and the first start he made after missing the first seven games of the season. Having logged 75 total snaps, Neal put in work allowing only one pressure on the game. His full body of work was accentuated by Pro Football Focus, who gave him an 80.6 player grade for Week 10, ranking T-No.4 among all offensive tackles along with a whopping 93.4 run-blocking grade for the day (No. 2).
This is very encouraging for the young O-lineman coming from the Giants’ chief decision-maker and one of the most esteemed analytical bodies in the NFL world. Neal has been under fire for the last two seasons in particular for his notable down performances but seems to be righting the ship for the G-Men.
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Though Schoen also noted in his presser that there is dissatisfaction permeating throughout the franchise amid their 2-8 record on the year, he stated his satisfaction with the young nucleus they have in place, and Neal could be one of those pieces he envisions cultivating for the long haul. The Alabama product will get his next chance to continue proving himself in the Giants’ Week 12 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
