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Giants tackle Evan Neal clears concussion protocol

profilephotocropby: Suzanne Halliburton08/17/23suzhalliburton
evan neal
Danielle Parhizkaran/North Jersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Giants’ big offensive tackle Evan Neal cleared concussion protocol and was back in practice this week. However, it’s unclear whether he’ll play in his team’s next preseason game.

Neal is the former Alabama star who the Giants drafted in the first round (seventh overall pick) of the 2022 NFL Draft. And he showed he was worthy of such an elite draft status. Neal started 13 regular season games and both playoff matchups as a rookie right tackle. He only missed action after spraining the medial collateral ligament, which helps stabilizes the knee.

Evan Neal came into the league as one of the most versatile offensive linemen on the draft board. Of the 40 games he started with the Crimson Tide, he played 13 at left guard, 12 at right tackle and 15 at left tackle. He ended his college career as a coveted left tackle.

Evan Neal blocks Bengals defensive end Cam Sample to give Daniel Jones long enough to throw. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Evan Neal says he dropped weight before training camp

Neal suffered the concussion earlier this month. Before he missed time, he revealed to reporters that he’d lost weight and added muscle to get in better NFL shape. He’s listed on the Giants’ website as 6-foot-7 and 350 pounds. It all makes him a better run blocker for Saquon Barkley or in pass protection for Daniel Jones.

“I feel very comfortable,” Evan Neal said as the Giants started training camp. “Just going to use the rest of camp to continue to hone in on those skills, just make small improvements every single day. I feel like I am never going to be a finished product, I am just going to take each day to get better and better.”

He added: “Last year was last year, man. I’m really focused on the 2023 season. I did feel like it made it more challenging for me because I had never got hurt during the season and had to play through it. So, I definitely feel like that was a factor, but I’m not going to make any excuses. That’s the past, we are in the present now.”

The Giants take on the Panthers Friday night at MetLife Stadium. Coach Brian Daboll said he wasn’t sure if Neal will play.

“He’s trending in the right direction, I’ll say that,” Daboll told reporters.