30 players who will avoid bust status with a breakout campaign in 2024

21. Evan Neal, New York Giants

Evan Neal has been a very controversial name in the New York/New Jersey area. He’s a former seventh-overall pick that was supposed to revamp the Giants offensive line. This team has had offensive line woes for what feels like a decade. So when the Giants had a chance to take Neal, who seemingly had everything any team could want, they ran to hand in their card at the draft.

First, let’s talk about Neal as a prospect and why he had the hype. He might be the biggest guy in the league. He stands 6’8 and weighs well over 300 lbs. He was still very young at the time of the draft, so he could be on the Giants offensive line for 15-20 years. Neal played at Alabama, which has been known as an offensive line factory. He also played both guard and tackle at Alabama, so he had the flexibility to fit into what the Giants needed.

This all spells a major win for the Giants. Unfortunately, it’s been all Ls since the draft pick was made. He got injured in his rookie year, missing about a month. In 2023, he called Giants fans “sheep” when they booed the team after a horrendous performance. On top of all this, he’s been awful. 

Neal comes into this season as a pseudo last chance. He hasn’t shown the mental fortitude to make it in the NFL. That can change, but no amount of size can overcome that if he doesn’t make those changes. He’s already been injured, suffering an ankle injury in the last preseason game of the year. It’s not looking good, but if he somehow turns it around, the Giants would be all too happy to keep him and his massive size around.