Giants right tackle Evan Neal has passed a physical and has been activated off the PUP list, the club announced. The team also signed linebacker K.J. Cloyd and waived defensive back Kaleb Hayes.
New York selected Neal with the No. 7 overall pick of the 2022 draft, though his performance over his first two years in the pros has not aligned with his draft status. During that time, the Alabama product has started 20 games and has struggled mightily, finishing as the second-worst OT in the league in each season in the estimation of Pro Football Focus’ metrics.
In Week 9 of the 2023 campaign, Neal suffered what was initially believed to be a sprained ankle, but follow-up testing became necessary after he did not heal as expected. The additional examination revealed a broken foot that required surgery, and he is getting back on the field several weeks after training camp opened.
Now, it is fair to wonder if Neal will be able to work his way back into the starting lineup, as Connor Hughes of SNY.tv notes. In training camp, free-agent acquisition Jermaine Eluemunor has been taking the first-team reps at right tackle in Neal’s absence, and he played well as the Raiders’ primary RT over each of the past two seasons. Eluemunor does offer some versatility and could kick inside to guard — he lined up at LG during the Giants’ offseason practices — but his recent tackle work is far to superior to what Neal has submitted to date.
Neal could theoretically move to the interior of the line himself, though prior reports indicated that Big Blue has no plans to make such a move. Plus, the Giants recently added Greg Van Roten, who lined up at right guard alongside Eluemunor in Vegas last year and is very much in the mix to start at RG for New York this season. Another offseason signing, Jon Runyan, appears poised to line up at left guard, and the starting center position is simply waiting for 2023 second-rounder John Michael Schmitz to return from a shoulder injury.
As such, it appears that Eluemunor and Neal are battling for the right tackle gig, and given Neal’s level of play in the NFL and Hughes’ recent report that the third-year blocker has fallen out of favor with the team — to say nothing of the notable two-year, $14M deal that the Giants authorized for Eluemunor — Neal could start his third professional season as a backup.
