Although the Titans forked over considerable money for 2022 Giants Day 2 draftees, the Joe Schoen era has featured some early-round options not living as much as draft billing.
Chief amongst those is Evan Neal, the No. 7 overall pick in 2022. The Giants selected Neal over Charles Cross, a player they were closely linked to in the course of the pre-draft process. While Cross has since signed a Seahawks extension, Neal rejoined the Giants for no guaranteed money this offseason. It was interesting to see the John Harbaugh staff bring back a first-round bust acquired in Schoen and Brian Daboll‘s first draft, but Neal could also be headed toward an early exit.
After working as a third-team guard in the course of the Giants’ offseason program, the converted tackle must be considered a “long shot” to make the 53-man roster out of coaching camp, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes.
Neal will not be alone amongst early-2020s draft disappointments in Latest York. The 2023 draft has burned Big Blue, with first-rounder Deonte Banks an afterthought, second-rounder John Michael Schmitz not impressing and third-rounder Jalin Hyatt a nonfactor. Hyatt is unlikely to make Harbaugh’s first Giants roster, Duggan adds.
The Giants had initially planned to make use of 2024 free agency addition Jermaine Eluemunor at left guard, but a lengthy Neal injury recovery led the team to maintain Eluemunor at his primary right tackle spot. Eluemunor has since began two seasons there and signed a three-year, $39MM deal to remain at that post. The Giants used Neal — their primary 2022 and ’23 RT starter — at his regular position in the course of the second half of the 2024 season, with Eluemunor sliding to LT after Andrew Thomas‘ foot injury, but they kicked him inside to protect last yr.
Neal-at-guard buzz picked up at points during his rookie contract, after some within the draft community viewed the Alabama product as a possible option there. But Neal didn’t see any game motion last season. While he nevertheless re-signed with the Giants, they are going to not tackle any dead money in the event that they release him out of camp. Neal’s contract contained an injury waiver for his neck, Duggan adds; that will absolve the team within the event of a reinjury.
The team drafted Francis Mauigoa tenth overall and plans to make use of him at right guard, with Jon Runyan Jr. battling to maintain his LG gig. The Giants signing ex-Ravens starter Daniel Faalele and interior O-line nomad Lucas Patrick will make it difficult for Neal to search out a spot as a swingman. For what it’s price, Faalele ($688K) and Patrick ($263K) didn’t receive an excessive amount of in guaranteed money. But Neal working as a third-team guard within the offseason definitely creates an uphill battle for the struggling blocker to bounce back.
Harbaugh’s first offseason also brought several wide receiver investments. The team signed Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin in the course of the first week of free agency, and so they took three post-draft fliers — on Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios — on the position. In between, Latest York traded up 31 spots to nab Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields early within the third round. With Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton still in place, the roster math doesn’t look good for Hyatt.
The Giants were rumored to be considering Hyatt within the 2023 second round, after the Tennessee product had won the Biletnikoff award in 2022. The ex-Volunteers deep threat was not viewed as a well-rounded talent at that time, nonetheless, and he has not disproven skeptics.
Hyatt caught 23 passes for 373 yards as a rookie before effectively disappearing from the Giants’ receiving corps. In 2024, Hyatt caught eight passes for 62 yards in 16 games. Although he played only eight games last season, the 6-foot wideout caught five passes for 35 yards.
Hyatt trade rumors began coming up as early as September 2024, and the Giants attempted to unload him on the ’25 deadline. No takers emerged, and Hyatt finished the season as a Giants afterthought — even after the team lost Nabers for the season and played a part of the yr without Slayton. The host of veteran imports likely point Hyatt out of Latest York this summer, per Duggan. One season stays on his third-round contract; the Giants would save $1.52MM by cutting Hyatt.