Pro Football Rumors
Although the Titans forked over considerable cash for 2022 Giants Day 2 draftees, the Joe Schoen era has featured some early-round options not living up to draft billing.
Chief among those is Evan Neal, the No. 7 overall pick in 2022. The Giants chose Neal over Charles Cross, a player they were closely linked to during the pre-draft process. While Cross has since signed a Seahawks extension, Neal rejoined the Giants for no guaranteed money this offseason. It was interesting to see the John Harbaugh staff bring back a first-round bust acquired in Schoen and Brian Daboll‘s first draft, but Neal may be headed toward an early exit.
After working as a third-team guard during the Giants’ offseason program, the converted tackle should be considered a “long shot” to make the 53-man roster out of training camp, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes.
Neal is not alone among early-2020s draft disappointments in New York. The 2023 draft has burned Big Blue, with first-rounder Deonte Banks an afterthought, second-rounder John Michael Schmitz not impressing and third-rounder Jalin Hyatt a nonfactor. Hyatt is unlikely to make Harbaugh’s first Giants roster, Duggan adds.
The Giants had initially planned to use 2024 free agency addition Jermaine Eluemunor at left guard, but a lengthy Neal injury recovery led the team to keep Eluemunor at his primary right tackle spot. Eluemunor has since started two seasons there and signed a three-year, $39MM deal to stay at that post. The Giants used Neal — their primary 2022 and ’23 RT starter — at his regular position during the second half of the 2024 season, with Eluemunor sliding to LT after Andrew Thomas‘ foot injury, but they kicked him inside to guard last year.
Neal-at-guard buzz picked up at points during his rookie contract, after some in the draft community viewed the Alabama product as a potential option there. But Neal did not see any game action last season. While he nevertheless re-signed with the Giants, they will not take on any dead money if they release him out of camp. Neal’s contract contained an injury waiver for his neck, Duggan adds; that would absolve the team in the event of a reinjury.
The team drafted Francis Mauigoa 10th overall and plans to use him at right guard, with Jon Runyan Jr. battling to keep his LG gig. The Giants signing ex-Ravens starter Daniel Faalele and interior O-line nomad Lucas Patrick will make it difficult for Neal to find a spot as a swingman. For what it’s worth, Faalele ($688K) and Patrick ($263K) did not receive too much in guaranteed money. But Neal working as a third-team guard in the offseason certainly creates an uphill battle for the struggling blocker to bounce back.
Harbaugh’s first offseason also brought several wide receiver investments. The team signed Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin during the first week of free agency, and they took three post-draft fliers — on Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios — at the position. In between,...
