Music

Welcome to Talking Giant's Player, Profiles and Projections. I'm your host Bobby Skinny here with my co-host Justin Pennick and we got a couple of rooks we're looking at

Evan Neal and Dane Bell and the seventh overall pick and then the fourth round pick out of Iowa but we're going to start with Evan Neal

Seventh overall pick out of Alabama, 6 foot 7, 337 pounds, 34 inch arms, was a three year starter for a Bama at left guard then right tackle, left tackle

but Justin now he's moving back to right tackle for the New York Giant, he will play his career there so long as Andrew Thomas is still in the New York Giant so hopefully for a very long time

Justin just giants wise in general like getting now we have our tackles figured out but I think we've seen a little bit with Evan Neal that there may be some rookie struggles

I don't think it's going to be disastrous levels struggles but I do think there's going to be some rookie struggles for him to figure it out as he gets along in the NFL

even from day one with Evan Neal, I do think Evan Neal hot take real hot take I think Evan Neal is going to be an upgrade over Nate Solder but the giants from 2016 to 2021 through a span of six years

they averaged 24th in explosive play rate that's really bad it's really bad you could say that you know hey some of its quarterback you know ladder years of Eli you could say hey maybe a little bit of a you know bad injury luck you could say you know wide receivers blah blah blah not being healthy

mainly I kind of pointed to the offense line and having really bad tackle play and quarterbacks not having the necessary time to stand in the pocket on a down and down out basis to really push the ball down the field

and now you saw how when Andrew Thomas took that step up last year you saw how good it can be now that we have a left tackle and a right tackle you know hopefully we're talking about an above average offense that can produce big plays and push the ball down the field

and Evan Neal is a huge part of that. Let's talk about his play on the field and just kind of prerequisites first like a athleticism is good especially for the frame like he's not something he's not the athlete that Andrew Thomas is he's not the athlete that I came a quality was but for his frame it's really

really good as overall strength shows up all throughout his game whether again when the past game where he's not being he's not being moved off his spot

and the run game being able to move people without having to lean or anything the biggest issue just like body wise people have had it with him and I and I have it too is the balance the balance isn't great especially in the run there's times where he gets off balance we saw it a little bit in the preseason game

he getting too skinny yeah and in the run game what you know with that frame again we haven't seen the second preseason game while recording this so maybe you know there's some things in there that we we learned from him

but I think he is for a rookie a polish pass protector Justin I know there's been some things like he's been changing to some more aggressive and and angle sets compared to the vertical sets that he ran a lot at Alabama even though he did do those things at Alabama as well

but I do think he's polished with his his footwork his punch but he's just kind of got it he's got to get used to that NFL speed where it's like you got to get to your spot and keep your feet moving through the rep and then obviously like hey you know your punches have to be a little more aggressive because guess what you guys that you guys are faster stronger longer arms we're going to try and get into your chest

yeah and does he and again I think you're you're really nitpicking when you're talking about you know negatives to Evan Niels game but letting guys getting into your chest too quickly and too often is that a thing that Evan Niel little bit struggle that Alabama

well and there's times where he would lunge at times with his punch to it would leave him vulnerable to the like those inside counters so like his punch just he just needs better you know better timing but overall like his punch timing is it was really beautiful Alabama in his hand placement

and his hand placement was great though like his hands always landed in the right spot you know with Andrew Thomas early on they won it when they won again the right spot and then as far as like footwork in the past game too

like his feet like he stays square with the line of scrimmage like he stays square you know and with with like smooth feet in his past sets now again when you're at the NFL level you got to have quicker feet

you got to keep your feet moving through the block and and work dealing with counters and all and all different types of things but just keep like what he's going to work on to start his career is like hey get to your spot but once you get to that spot remember your feet don't stop there keep your feet moving through the block

...