Insider: NY Giants could replace former top-10 pick with another this offseason

Under their new front-office leadership, the New York Giants are about to embark on a crucial offseason. One insider believes general manager Joe Schoen will address one of the worst errors of his brief tenure.

NFL analyst Connor Hughes stated that he expects New York to “actively” look for right tackle Evan Neal’s successor this offseason in a Q&A mailbag for SNY. Since he was drafted by New York seventh overall in 2022, Neal has been among the worst offensive guards in the NFL. This season, he was ranked as the second-lowest tackle by Pro Football Focus.

It’s still too early to sever relations with the 23-year-old, though, considering the team’s investment in him and his outstanding college career at Alabama. Hughes thinks that as a result, New York will try to move Neal to guard and select a new right tackle in the 2024 NFL Draft or through free agency.

Hughes wrote, “He’s their right tackle… right now.” However, I anticipate that the Giants will actively search for a successor for him this offseason. This could happen in free agency (Michael Onwenu, Jonah Williams, Jermaine Eluemunor) or the first round of the draft (Joe Alt of Notre Dame, Olu Fashanu of Penn State). When they locate that player, they will kick Neal inside.”

In the April draft, the Giants have the sixth overall choice, which should be within reach.  to acquire Alt or Fashanu, who are regarded as the class’s two best offensive line prospects.

Over the previous two seasons, Alt, a unanimous All-American, gave up just one sack and a total of 13 pressures to the Fighting Irish.

In his three years at Penn State, Fashanu—who was named the 2023 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year—allowed just 17 pressures and never gave up a sack.

Even if Alt and Fashanu are both capable of having successful NFL careers (and are probably better than Neal), they might not be the Giants’ best option right now. Given that they have one of the finest left tackles in the league in Andrew Thomas, the Giants don’t need a left tackle, and neither of the two possibilities has any experience playing right tackle.

In addition, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN noted, the Giants have

During 2014, three top-10 draft selections have been made on offensive linemen. During that time, no other team has selected multiple offensive linemen with a top-10 pick. It might make sense to use the sixth pick on a different position given that Thomas is the only selection that has worked out and the team’s numerous gaps elsewhere.

The best way for New York to strengthen its offensive line may be to add a veteran in free agency; Onwenu and Eluemunor are two players to watch.

Carmen Bricillo, the offensive line coach for the recently hired Giants, has worked with both of the upcoming free agents. In particular, Onwenu had the finest year of his career in New England under Bricillo’s coaching.

eleven pressures, four quarterback hits, and two sacks in the 2021 campaign.

However the Giants decide to proceed, it is preferable to having Neal start at right tackle, where he has conceded 10 sacks and 82 pressures in just 20 career games.