The 2025 NFL season is fast approaching. There are just three months before training camps and preseason games are set to begin. The 2025 NFL Draft helped teams address needs and provide roster clarity for management and fans.
One team that seemed to upgrade on all fronts was the New York Giants. Their most notable selections came in the first round with defensive end Abdul Carter (No. 3 overall) and Jackson Dart (No. 25) but days two and three were just as productive.
Fifth-round selection Marcus Mbow (guard - Purdue) made many fans in New York raise their eyebrows and wonder if the team finally decided to replace its 2022 first-round pick that has not seemed to fit in. That pick was tackle Evan Neal.
Evan Neal's move to guard may buy him more time on Giants
Despite that selection, Neal is still with the Giants and seems to be moving over into Mbow's position ground and will compete for a starting spot. That's an unusual move but it could be for the best in the long run for New York.
General manager Joe Schoen declined to pick up the fifth-year option on Neal's rookie deal, meaning he's entering his final year in New York potentially. This will be a make-or-break season for the 24-year-old out of Alabama with multiple candidates (including Mbow) itching to take over.
"He's going to do whatever he can do to help the organization. He's motivated, he's had a good offseason, he's working hard," Schoen told reporters on April 16 ahead of Neal's move to guard.
"He's going to do whatever he can do to help the organization. He's motivated, he's had a good offseason, he's working hard."
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) April 16, 2025
Joe Schoen on Evan Neal: pic.twitter.com/jcbes7UWED
Neal has only played in 29 games for the Giants (27 starts) with injuries hampering the start of his NFL career. If he were to successfully earn a starting guard spot for Week 1, it would be the first time he's played at that position since his rookie year in Tuscaloosa (2019). He moved to the tackle position in 2020.
Before being cut by New York in November, quarterback Daniel Jones was sacked 29 times. Neal can't assume all of the blame for those but his form on the left side was severely lacking.
He'll have one last chance, it appears, to change minds at MetLife Stadium. If there isn't any significant improvement at a new position, his days as a Giant are certainly numbered.