Big Blue View
There were a number of storylines for the New York Giants over the course of training camp and the preseason, and one of the biggest is the transition of Evan Neal from right tackle to guard.
Not only has Neal been practicing at left guard with the second-team offensive line, but he’s also split reps with Greg Van Roten at right guard with the starting unit. The Giants’ first priority is obviously to field the best starting offensive line they can, and the line played well against both the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. While they won’t say it, the hope has to be that Neal will win the starting job.
While Van Roten is a (relatively) steady veteran, Neal is a month shy of his 25th birthday and could lock down the position for several years if he develops well. He also has far more athletic upside than Van Roten and could legitimately upgrade the position — again, if he develops well.
Neal missed the Giants’ first preseason game after suffering an injury in the practices leading up to the game. He returned to practice in the second joint practice between the Giants and Jets, and was thrown right back into the action. He got his first live game action against the Jets, coming onto the field with the starting offense at the start of the second quarter, and we finally got the chance to see him at his new position.
So how did he fare?
Neal was solid at guard against the Jets. He had 32 snaps with only two real losses (which we’ll get to), as well as some encouraging highs.
Neal got into the game at the start of the second quarter, with his first offensive rep coming when the Giants got the ball back with 12:23 left in the game. This also happened to be one of the more encouraging reps on his tape, as the Giants got the ball with terrible field position — their own 2-yard line.
Rather than run the ball and try to eke out a bit more room for the offense to operate, the Giants instead tested themselves backed up against their own goal line and called a pass.
Neal does an excellent job of executing the guard/center double team on the 1-technique. He and John Michael Schmitz fire off the ball and engage the defensive tackle with good leverage. They get hip-to-hip, shoulder-to-shoulder while maintaining good pad level and also not interfering with each other’s footing. They’re both able to maintain a wide base and set a deep pocket, not moving back off the 2-yard line.
He also had good reps in the run game.
Neal shows off both his prodigious power as well as his athleticism in this rep. He does a very good job of getting off the ball and taking control of the gap. He’s able to position himself to gain half-man leverage on the defensive tackle as well as get under his...
