This is it for former Alabama standout offensive tackle Evan Neal. When he left Tuscaloosa and entered the NFL Draft, he did so as one of the best offensive lineman for his draft class in 2022. The New York Giants took him No. 7 overall, hoping he'd be a stud working with Andrew Thomas.
However, nothing has gone according to plan for Neal, who has unfortunately gotten worse as his pro career has gone on. Last season, Brian Daboll had enough, taking away his starting spot. Neal appeared in nine games, but he still wasn't cutting it.
Now, though, the call has been made that Big Blue fans everywhere have been calling for. That's right, Neal is moving to the inside, switching from tackle to guard according to reporter Paul Schwartz. This is clearly a last-ditch effort from Daboll to try and revive Neal's career with the G-Men:
Evan Neal is officially making the move from offensive tackle to guard for the Giants
The Giants really didn't have a choice here. Neal hasn't been playable on the outside and fans couldn't take it anymore. He was once set to have some fantastic days in the league with NYG, but now everything is totally up in the air for him.
Let's be real here, Neal has to turn things around at guard. Otherwise, he's going to be on his way out of town in East Rutherford. Should that happen, teams aren't going to be lining up to sign him if he hits free agency. This is something he surely has on his mind.
Shortly after the draft, the Giants announced that they weren't going to pick up the fifth-year option on the youngster. This news didn't surprise anyone, as Neal hasn't even come close to reaching the monster expectations set on him. It's do or die time for him in 2025. Bama fans are hopeful Neal can find a way to turn things around. He simply has to.