With the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the New York Giants have selected University of Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal.
Neal, who was one of the top overall prospects and arguably the best pick the Giants could hope for at pick No. #, fills a need on the offensive line immediately and will hopefully be a piece for Big Blue to build around.
Neal, the 6-foot-7 and 350-pound junior, was a one of the permanent captains under Nick Saban during the 2021 campaign.
The offensive line has been a clear weakness of the team for years and numerous mocks had the Giants taking offensive an offensive lineman with at least one of their two first round picks. Since midseason in 2021, it became clearer and clearer that both picks owned by the Giants would be high selections.
Joe Schoen also made it clear he wanted to fix the offensive line and one of his goals was to build through the draft.
The Giants had been connected to Neal for some time in many different mocks although as the draft approached, many wondered if he would be there at pick No. 5 (let alone pick No. 7). But he will now he will team up fellow SEC youngster Andrew Thomas on the offensive line to protect Daniel Jones for the immediate future.
Improvement along the offensive line was imperative in order for the Giants to begin moving things in the right direction.
As Schoen continues to retool the Giants’ roster and get the organization out of salary cap disaster, Neal, along with Andrew Thomas and Kadarius Toney, should be building blocks for years to come
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