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New York Giants Release Former Top Pick Ahead of 2026 Season 1
The New York Giants are in a position where they are looking to make a major splash with a new regime in place. With a new thinking tank in the front office, it typically means players from the old regime could be on the chopping block. One of those situations happened today for the New York Giants as the rosters needed to be down to 53 players. Let’s take a look at a surprising cut and what it means going forward.
New York Giants cut Evan Neal
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Sep 11, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal (73) leaves the field after warmups before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Art Stapleton of USA Today was the first to report that the New York Giants have released offensive lineman Evan Neal ahead of the 53-man roster being finalized. This comes as a bit of a surprise as he was signed to a one-year, $1.2 million contract this offseason.
Evan Neal was selected with the seventh pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. Coming out of the Alabama Crimson Tide program, he was expected to be the cornerstone offensive tackle to protect the edge. However, he has struggled to get back on the field, playing in just nine games over the previous two seasons.
With Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor projected to be the starting offensive tackles for the Giants, there was no room to keep Neal on as a reserve offensive tackle. There are teams still searching for help on the offensive line, so this could be a chance for him to get a look somewhere else, but missing on a player with the seventh pick and moving on so quickly is difficult.
Playing a premier position as an offensive tackle, Neal needs to find a way to prove his worth with another team. It will be intriguing to see where he will play, if anywhere, in the 2026 season. It will also be interesting to see if the New York Giants made the correct decision.