The New York Giants shocked their fan base in Week 1 by leaving former first-rounder inactive.
It wasn’t simply unexpected — it was revealing. Teams don’t sideline such a major draft investment unless significant problems are bubbling beneath the surface — and in this case, they clearly are.
Throughout training camp, top star focused on shifting from tackle to guard, but the experiment produced discouraging results.
Across 67 snaps in two preseason games, he allowed five pressures — and that was mostly against reserve-level defenders. Those struggles quickly erased any optimism about the position change, exposing ongoing issues with fundamental pass protection.
To make matters worse, Neal has no prior NFL experience at guard, making the transition an uncomfortable fit.
Rather than push the experiment further, the Giants chose to sit him out, avoiding the risk of another shaky performance.
The roster squeeze
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports that the Giants’ patience with Evan Neal may already be running thin.
If the team doesn’t see him as a reliable contributor — even in a reserve role — his spot on the roster quickly becomes expendable. NFL teams can’t afford to carry players they don’t trust in emergency situations, and the Giants are weighing all options, including the possibility of cutting Neal in the coming weeks.
If that happens, it would go down as one of the more disappointing draft failures in recent Giants history, considering his draft pedigree.
Offensive line concerns growing
Neal’s situation stings even more given the state of New York’s offensive line. In the Week 1 loss to Washington, the unit struggled badly — generating little push in the ground game and repeatedly folding in pass protection against a revamped Commanders front.
With Andrew Thomas sidelined, the lack of depth and talent up front was glaring. And Neal’s inability to step in, even as a backup, only underscored the concerns about his long-term outlook.
A first-round pick losing steam
When the Giants drafted Evan Neal seventh overall in 2022, they imagined a franchise pillar on the offensive line.
Instead, his career has been marred by injuries, inconsistency, and stalled development — turning him into more of a liability than a building block.
The team has been patient, but Sunday’s move made clear just how far his standing has slipped inside the organization.
Benching a former top pick outright signals the coaching staff’s dwindling belief in his long-term future.
At some point, potential gives way to reality — and that reality forces tough choices about whether the investment is now a sunk cost.