Soon after quarterback Daniel Jones’s season ended due to an ACL tear, head coach Brian Daboll of the New York Giants made no mistake in declaring Jones the starter for the upcoming season. But Daboll wouldn’t make any such claims about the offensive line, or specifically about Evan Neal, who is listed as doubtful for this weekend’s game against New Orleans at right tackle and has been recovering from an ankle injury.
When asked whether Neal would return to the starting lineup ahead of Tyre Phillips, who has taken over for Neal at right tackle, Daboll responded, “I’d just say he’s working to get better.” “We’ll see. When we arrive at that bridge, cross it.”
That’s not exactly a surprising or resounding endorsement. Neal, the seventh overall selection in the previous year’s draft, has had trouble performing on the field. He gave up the third-most quarterback pressures of any tackle during the previous season with 52 in 534 pass-block snaps. With a 94.4 pass-blocking efficiency rating, he is tied for 24th place among tackles after 30 pressures in 309 pass-block snaps this season.
Some have questioned whether Neal will be able to continue developing at guard because of his inability to make the necessary progress. NEal has what it takes to play tackle in the NFL, according to offensive line coach Bobby Johnson and general manager Joe Schoen, who have refuted that theory. After the summer, after Andrew Thomas and Matt PEart’s injuries, Phillips was brought back from the Eagles practice squad, where he had been since the summer. The Giants had cut Phillips during training camp this summer in order to make room for 53 players.
The guard-turned-pass-blocker Phillips has allowed just 18 pressures in 215 pass-blocking snaps, good for a 95.1 pass-blocking efficiency rating. Regarding Phillips, Daboll stated, “He’s done a nice job.” Daboll hasn’t always shied away from taking the lead when it comes to making decisions of this nature. After Tyrod Taylor recovered from a rib cage injury, he continued to use Tommy DeVito at quarterback, indicating a desire to preserve the rapport that had grown there. He might be leaning toward doing the same thing on the offensive line for the time being, where chemistry is even more crucial.