The New York Giants selected Alabama offensive lineman Evan Neal in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Here is everything you need to know about the new member of Big Blue:
OVERVIEW
Height: 6' 7 1/2"
Weight: 337 lbs.
Hand: 10 1/8"
Arm: 34"
Wing: 83"
Career: GP - 41, GS - 41
2021: 2nd-Team AP All-American, 1st-Team All-SEC at LT
2020: Started all 13 games at RT
Hometown: Okeechobee, FL
NFL.COM SCOUTING REPORT
- Has played against top-level competition over his three seasons.
- Much quicker after dropping 15 pounds in the offseason.
- Well-schooled in technical aspects of the position.
- Knows how it is supposed to look and can replicate it on consistent basis.
- Moves with fluidity and body control.
- Patient and accurate fitting up into initial contact.
- Strikes with proper leverage and explosive lift at point of attack.
- Hand placement and leg churn carves out space with down block.
- Variety of pass-set angles and techniques are at his disposal.
- Twitchy out of his stance and into his slides.
- Keeps the majority of weight on inside leg in pass sets.
- Well-timed hands put his length in play early in the rep.
- Times up punches to maximize his length.
- Nimble and capable to redirect and slide to inside move.
- Quick to reset a discarded punch attempt.
- Good release/mirror/catch technique versus spin moves.
NEXT GEN STATS
Evan Neal (95 overall, 93 production, 83 athleticism) is the fifth offensive tackle over the last 15 draft classes to enter the draft with a plus-90-90-80 overall, production and athleticism score.
90-90-80 Overall, Production, Athleticism Scores
Among OT, Last 15 Drafts (since 2003)
Overall
2013 OKLA Lane Johnson 99
2020 ALA Jedrick Wills Jr. 98
2013 CMU Eric Fisher 96
2022 ALA Evan Neal 95
2011 USC Tyron Smith 94
2021
Selected as one of Alabama's permanent team captains for the 2021 campaign … a consensus first team All-American by the AFCA, FWAA, The Sporting News and Walter Camp ... also picked up first-team honors from CBS Sports, ESPN.com and USA Today … selected as a second team All-American by the Associated Press … veteran of 40 starts over three years and three positions along the Alabama offensive line, starting 13 games at left guard in 2019, 12 games at right tackle in 2020 and 15 games at left tackle in 2021 … anchored an Alabama offensive front that is opened holes and provided time for the nation's No. 6 scoring offense (39.9 ppg), No. 7 passing offense (338.2 ypg) and pass efficiency offense (166.5), the No. 3 unit in third-down conversion percentage (52.0) and the No. 5 red zone offense (.926) … accounted for a team-high 34 knockdown blocks … played 1,200 snaps over 15 games … named a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award … earned midseason All-America honors from the AP, TSN and CBS Sports … picked up preseason first team All-America honors from the AP, TSN and Walter Camp ... also tabbed as a second team selection by Pro Football Focus ... earned offensive player of the week honors from the Alabama coaching staff after the Tide's win over Mercer, Ole Miss, Tennessee, New Mexico State, Arkansas and Cincinnati while the entire offensive line earned garnered the honor after the SEC Championship Game against Georgia.
2020
Physical lineman who started at his second position – right tackle – in as many seasons with the Crimson Tide ... earned Freshman All-America recognition a season ago ... has 26 career starts, including 13 at right tackle in 2020 and 13 at left guard in 2019 ... helped anchor the right side of the Alabama offensive line that blocked for the Power 5's No. 1 scoring offense (48.5 ppg), No. 1 pass efficiency offense (198.9), No. 2 passing offense (358.2 ypg), No. 2 total offense (541.6 ypg) and No. 23 rushing attack (183.5 ypg) ... the Alabama front surrendered just 11 sacks while quarterback Mac Jones was on the field (.85 per game, eighth nationally) and just 19 for the season on 459 dropbacks to rank 25th nationally (1.46 sacks per game among teams who played more than six games) ... led an offensive front that opened holes for a 5.0 yards per carry average with 78 runs of 10 or more yards, which was among the national leaders ... the Tide scored 37 rushing touchdowns in 13 games to lead the nation ... played 810 snaps during the 2020 season with just six missed assignments and three penalties ... was credited with 1.5 sacks allowed by the Alabama coaches while surrendering just four quarterback hurries and three pressures ... selected as one of the Crimson Tide coaching staff's offensive players of the week for his play against Mississippi State.
2019
Played at multiple positions across the line but settled in at left guard ... selected as a Freshman All-American by 247Sports and the FWAA while also being tabbed to ESPN.com's Freshman All-America team ... also earned Freshman All-America accolades from USA Today ... named to the Freshman All-SEC squad by the league coaches ... selected as a Midseason Freshman All-American by the Football Writers' Association of America ... tabbed to the preseason Freshman All-America Watch List by the FWAA ... started all 13 games of his young career at left guard ... helped the Tide's offensive line rank third nationally in sacks allowed at just .92 per game made up of 12 sacks in 406 pass attempts during the 2019 season (one every 33.8 pass attempts) ... the offensive front opened holes and provided time for Alabama's offense that ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring (47.2 ppg), third in passing (342.2 ypg) and sixth in total offense (510.8 ypg) ... the Crimson Tide's ground game also proved efficient with its top two running backs (Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr.) accounting for 5.5 yards per rush (1,665 yards and 18 touchdowns) ... according to Championship Analytics (CAI) Alabama was one of the nation's top teams as it relates to five-plus-yard runs, leading the SEC and ranking ninth nationally with 44 percent of the team's rushing attempts resulting in a gain of five or more yards ... CAI also ranked the Tide's front fourth nationally with a sack rate of 3.0 percent for a passing attack that ranked No. 3 nationally at 342.2 yards per pass and second in yards per pass at 10.45 ypp.
HIGH SCHOOL
An elite offensive tackle prospect and one of the top players at any position in the nation ... tabbed as a five-star offensive tackle by all major recruiting outlets and one of the top players in the state of Florida ... rated as the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 8 player in the nation on the Rivals 100 ... Rivals.com also ranked him as the third-best player in Florida ... the seventh-ranked player, No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 3 player in Florida on the 247Composite ... the No. 32 player nationally and the fourth-rated offensive tackle in the country by 247Sports ... the No. 4 player in the ESPN300 ... rated as the No. 2 offensive tackle and second-ranked player in Florida by ESPN.com ... selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game ... the anchor of the offensive line at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. ... coached by Kevin Wright at IMG ... chose Alabama over Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Oklahoma.
DID YOU KNOW?
Father, Eddie, played linebacker at Tulane. Two uncles played at the University of Miami: RB Cleveland Gary (Drafted in 1st Rd by Rams in 1989) and 2-time Super Bowl champion DT Jimmie Jones (Drafted in 3rd Rd by Cowboys in 1990).