ESPN Tabs Evan Neal as the Giant Most in Need of a Fresh Start

East Rutherford, N.J.—When John Harbaugh took over the New York Giants in January, he delivered a blunt mission statement: only players who “love football” will remain in the building. Four months later, that philosophy appears poised to claim its first casualty on the offensive line.

ESPN this week identified Evan Neal, the Giants’ 2022 first-round pick out of Alabama, as the one Giant who “could use a change of scenery” this offseason. The network’s annual survey of roster misfits singled out Neal after a three-year tenure marked by injuries and unfulfilled promise.

“Neal washed out at tackle and was supposed to move to guard; but last season, he dealt with a hamstring injury and wasn’t active for a single game,” ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz wrote. “He’s almost assuredly headed to another team this offseason, and perhaps he can be useful as an interior lineman elsewhere.”

The assessment lands with added weight because the Giants already declined Neal’s fifth-year option, ensuring the 6-foot-7 lineman will become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year opens in March. Neal has suited up for only 29 of a possible 51 regular-season contests since being selected seventh overall, missing the entire 2024 campaign with a hamstring issue that never healed.

Harbaugh, hired to revive a franchise that has won just 13 games since 2022, has preached a culture reset. During his introductory press conference he said players who “don’t love football” will be encouraged to “go play someplace else,” a stance that leaves little patience for projects or prolonged recoveries.

While general manager Joe Schoen is not expected to gut the roster entirely—NFL cap rules and roster limits make a complete teardown impossible—Neal’s exit now feels like a formality. The Giants have begun evaluating mid-round draft options and low-cost veterans to fill the void, sources familiar with the team’s plans said.

Neal’s next stop will hinge on whether clubs view his raw power and 35-inch arms as salvageable traits inside at guard. Several offensive-line-needy franchises project to have cap space and starting spots available this spring, offering the 23-year-old what ESPN calls his best—and perhaps last—chance to revive a once-lofty draft pedigree.

For New York, moving on would mark the end of a first-round investment that never blossomed. For Neal, it represents an opportunity to escape the harsh spotlight of the league’s largest market and reboot where expectations—and the daily sermon of “loving football”—aren’t quite so loud.