What Evan Neal needs to fix

[MightyGiants]

https://x.com/TFG_Football/status/1797821295440400477

[gregf]

I was so excited for this pick. To date, he hasn't shown flashes or moments of good.  Elumenor has proven to be a good RT.  It will be interesting to see how Neal does in pre season.   If he can be an average starter, that's s huge help.   Wether at tackle or guard. 

[Philosophers]

He looks like he plays with a high center of gravity coupled with either slow legs/feet and/or slow mental processing of what his opponent is doing.

Great video to see his flaws.

[MightyGiants]

He looks like he plays with a high center of gravity coupled with either slow legs/feet and/or slow mental processing of what his opponent is doing.

Great video to see his flaws.

I think poor coaching could also be part of it.  It doesn't look like Neal is well prepared or is expecting what he is facing.  Quality film work and coaching could at least help Neal better anticipate what will happen.

[madbadger]

I don't know why they are wasting years on his rookie deal trying to prove what we all know instinctually. He sucks at tackle. Move him inside and see if he can provide anything. Elumenor Is clearly the better tackle. Why make the line weaker than it needs to be just to mollycoddle one player?

[Bob In PA]

I don't know why they are wasting years on his rookie deal trying to prove what we all know instinctually. He sucks at tackle. Move him inside and see if he can provide anything. Elumenor Is clearly the better tackle. Why make the line weaker than it needs to be just to mollycoddle one player?

madb: Actually, IMO, the mollycoddling is over.  They just haven't told the public yet. Bob

[Gmo11]

madb: Actually, IMO, the mollycoddling is over.  They just haven't told the public yet. Bob

Giving him all the reps at RT would indicate to me that they are giving him another shot there but I'm with you.  Why not let him try guard and see how he does.  Could it possibly be worse than how he's looked at tackle?

[spiderblue43]

If Bricillo can get Neal to aquedate, it  would be an incredible job. So far, He has been probably the worst RT in football. I can't see it. He looks like a couch delivery. I'd rather they try him at guard and keep Olemunor (a good tackle) alone on the edge.
 

[BluesCruz]

looks unfixable

[T200]

Is it possible Bricillo is keeping Eleumenor at RG (for the time being) to provide stability and consistency for both JMS and Neal? He will server as the veteran presence for each of them.

Having JMS and Neal next to each other might not be the best combination.

[Stringer Bell]

His footwork. His recognition. His athleticism. His mobility. His football IQ. His strength. His mean streak. His competitiveness.

Other than that, he's fine.

[MightyGiants]

His footwork. His recognition. His athleticism. His mobility. His football IQ. His strength. His mean streak. His competitiveness.

Other than that, he's fine.

How do you suppose he played so well at Alabama?

[Stringer Bell]

How do you suppose he played so well at Alabama?

That's based on a potentially faulty premise that he "played so well" in college. Coaches, scouts are not perfect. They get evaluations wrong. Their performance analysis can be off. They see what they want to see. Even when the sentiment is unanimous. People get it wrong. I think that's a part of it.

Another part of it is that his playing conditions in college were totally different than in the NFL. He played against inferior competition. He played alongside the top players in the country, with the best coaching staff in the country. He had every advantage a player could have. He has none of those things now as an NFL player.

And lastly, I don't think he's put in the work to grow and meet the challenge of being an NFL player. I think he's displayed a mental softness that has stunted his growth. Success is not a suspended state where status quo will continue to get you by year after year. That is true even when conditions stay consistent, let alone when the conditions are made more challenging.

Add all those things up, and you get the monumental bust that is Evan Neal. Could he turn it around? Sure. Do I think he will? Nope.

To do so, he needs to fix 4-5 of the items I noted in my original post. He needs to work his ass off on the practice field, in the weight room, and the film room. He needs Bricillo to be a savior, of sorts, and to have better talent next to him at RG. He needs to mature mentally. And he needs to behave like someone who has to fight for his roster spot vs. someone entitled to a starting spot because he played for Alabama.

[jimc]

looks unfixable

I just can't believe a guy touted as being good can be so bad. I'm in agreement that he looks unfixable.

[Gmo11]

That's based on a potentially faulty premise that he "played so well" in college. Coaches, scouts are not perfect. They get evaluations wrong. Their performance analysis can be off. They see what they want to see. Even when the sentiment is unanimous. People get it wrong. I think that's a part of it.

Another part of it is that his playing conditions in college were totally different than in the NFL. He played against inferior competition. He played alongside the top players in the country, with the best coaching staff in the country. He had every advantage a player could have. He has none of those things now as an NFL player.

And lastly, I don't think he's put in the work to grow and meet the challenge of being an NFL player. I think he's displayed a mental softness that has stunted his growth. Success is not a suspended state where status quo will continue to get you by year after year. That is true even when conditions stay consistent, let alone when the conditions are made more challenging.

Add all those things up, and you get the monumental bust that is Evan Neal. Could he turn it around? Sure. Do I think he will? Nope.

To do so, he needs to fix 4-5 of the items I noted in my original post. He needs to work his ass off on the practice field, in the weight room, and the film room. He needs Bricillo to be a savior, of sorts, and to have better talent next to him at RG. He needs to mature mentally. And he needs to behave like someone who has to fight for his roster spot vs. someone entitled to a starting spot because he played for Alabama.

This wasn't a Gettleman going rogue and picking Jones a full round earlier than anybody else would have picked him.  Neal was widely considered by just about every scouting report you can find to either be 1 or 1B when it came to OL prospects.  I'm no expert but everything I could see myself looked like a sure fire stud.  And the NFL is a step up from every conference in college but he did come from the SEC so he did routinely play against NFL talent across from him during his time there.

This case sure is perplexing to me.  And I think the biggest issue that he needs to fix is the mental part of it.  He has shown a complete lack of fundamentals since getting to the Giants.  He also hasn't been helped much by his OL coach.  But all that being said he's been an outright disaster for whatever the reason.  I think we're at the point where they have to at least take a look at him as a guard and see what happens. I don't think we need to keep beating our heads against this particular wall to make him play RT simply because he was drafted to do so. If this new OL coach thinks there's something there so be it...he just better be right.