The New York Giants need to iron out several things over the course of OTAs, training camp and the preseason but for the first time in quite a while, there seems to be some stability across the offensive line.
There will be a battle for the starting spot at left guard, but all other positions along the O-Line appear to be set. Andrew Thomas will start at left tackle, rookie John Michael Schmitz at center, Mark Glowinski will likely keep his spot at right guard and Evan Neal will man the right tackle position.
Of that group, Neal is the wildcard. He played poorly as a rookie, nagged by lower body injuries that impacted his stance, but his ceiling remains high. He’s talented, athletic and strong. He has all the makings of a dominant tackle.
Neal will also be a key for the Giants in 2023. His development is of the utmost importance and that’s why Mike Jones of The Athletic named him a “player to watch” during offseason workouts.
The seventh pick of the 2022 draft had more struggles than bright moments while lining up at right tackle for the Giants. Now he hopes that a season under his belt helps him develop into a reliable bookend opposite Andrew Thomas.
While it would be unfair to expect an Andrew Thomas-like leap out of Neal, the Giants are hoping for something similar. If the sophomore continues to struggle and the right side of the line becomes an issue, it negates everything the team has done to improve this offseason.
Perhaps more than any other player on the roster, the Giants (and quarterback Daniel Jones) need Neal to become a lockdown blocker on the right side of the line.
