I know rookie tackles always have an adjustment and Neal has good physical attributes and a great mature mindset. However, I have always seen and heard he is top heavy and to compound it, lunges, and winds up on the ground a bit. Draft evaluators have pointed this out as have in season announcers and you can see it when playing back the game tape.
Rookie OL will often struggle, just like Thomas did (although I think a lot of it was his ankle which required 2 surgeries to hopefully correct), but is there a bigger flaw here (especially in pass protection) with Neal that can’t be coached out?
I am a big Neal fan, we need him to succeed and form a bookend tackle tandem for the next 10 years. Curious for others opinions on this.
Do you think anyone here actually knows the answer to that?
I didn’t ask that at all.
Thanks. I think Thomas’ issues were compounded by just how bad his ankle injury was. I get all rookies struggle, even one such as Neal but was wondering how much of his gargantuan height can add to his propensity for being on the ground.
It's a really hard position going against some of the highest paid players in the league. It's not always going to be perfect but hope in time perfect enough.
NFL speed is far different compared to even the SEC.
Compare that to Flowers. When he was drafted many said he couldnt even play tackle and to move to guard. They said this on draft night.
Do you think anyone here actually knows the answer to that?
Flowers raised some red flags intangibles wise, fwiw that's certainly not a concern with Neal, and can't help but feel AT would provide some good leadership too.
Physically they all fit the LT/RT role fwiw.
Neal is going to take his lumps. But he has the goods.
The real problem on the OL is the interior. I'd rather they play Ezeudu at OG and move Bredeson to C, just to get Feliciano off the field. At least for a series or two to see what happens.
I don't think his feet are an issue. He's going to play right tackle for us for his career with the Giants. You need to be smooth out of the gate in the run game and play with power, and to just get the job done when it comes to pass blocking, it might not always be pretty with him.
Or... just hear me out for a second here, we can simply understand that he's only played 4 NFL games and is far from a finished product.
His technique will smooth out and it'll click. He has all the tools, it just takes time.
All we need to do is look at the opposite end of the line for evidence.
I don't think his feet are an issue. He's going to play right tackle for us for his career with the Giants. You need to be smooth out of the gate in the run game and play with power, and to just get the job done when it comes to pass blocking, it might not always be pretty with him.
I agree, with better technique hopefully he can overcome the physical issue, it's not too late to turn it around for a guy RT (obviously), but there were a bunch of posters here that thought we were getting a lock LT or something and some even thought he'd push AT out of the spot!
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are getting exposed (poor balance and feet). The good news is if he doesn't figure it out at talent he can definitely be an elite guard. Time will tell.
Or... just hear me out for a second here, we can simply understand that he's only played 4 NFL games and is far from a finished product.
His technique will smooth out and it'll click. He has all the tools, it just takes time.
All we need to do is look at the opposite end of the line for evidence.
One, there are plenty of scouting reports questioning his natural foot speed.
Two- AT always clearly had the physical tools to play LT and it was strictly a technique issue him getting set up inside that somehow miraculously turned it around when we fired Columbo. The timing of that is not coincidental as Bobby Skinner pointed out difference in technique. AT only struggled his second year in run game because of his ankle injury but he was lock solid in pass pro.
These situations aren't the same.
But like I said, guy is a a friggin beast and at the very least he looks like he'll be an elite guard. Obviously, we hope he gets it worked out at RT.
It's just the exuburance of the front 7 at any costs crowd acted like we walked away with Myles Garrett and Penai Sewell level prospects (who only dropped to 5 because he opted out)
It's a matter of syncing up his hands and feet, and keeping his feet moving through contact.
If he doesn't, just like his scouting report suggested, the absolute worst scearnio for him is a really good G. I am not seeing any reason he'd be heading to G, just throwing it out there.
And you are asking if rookies can improve their technique? Ummm... yes.
Giants threw the ball 16 times against da Bears. And several of those were based on designed roll-outs.
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and work on staying on them and off the ground. AT had the same issue needing to move the feet instead of lunging, putting the head down, and reaching and grabbing and chasing his man when he was already past him. Not concerned.
Thanks. I think Thomas’ issues were compounded by just how bad his ankle injury was. I get all rookies struggle, even one such as Neal but was wondering how much of his gargantuan height can add to his propensity for being on the ground.
Does he fall when he is not playing football? If the answer is no, then he can learn to keep his balance - as JonC said. Bob Skinner showed in last week's game how much better he was this week vs last. He has to learn a different technique than he has used and the Giants use a different pass blocking scheme than Alabama. So not only does he need to refine his footwork and hand placement, he needs to learn how to block like an NFL lineman vs a college lineman. He has to overcome three years of what he did in college all while going against better players than he saw in college. That is not easy.
One thing is certain - when he locks on to his man, the encounter is over.
BTW, Kareem McKenzie was close in size to Neal. He turned out to be a damn good RT
It's a matter of syncing up his hands and feet, and keeping his feet moving through contact.
If he doesn't, just like his scouting report suggested, the absolute worst scearnio for him is a really good G. I am not seeing any reason he'd be heading to G, just throwing it out there.
Yep, and he looked much better than versus Dallas, he's showing the aptitude to learn and implement the fixes.
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You're asking if Neal will turn out like Thomas or Flowers?
Do you think anyone here actually knows the answer to that?
I didn’t ask that at all.
Sure you did.
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Evan Neal didn't struggle on Sunday.
And you are asking if rookies can improve their technique? Ummm... yes.
Giants threw the ball 16 times against da Bears. And several of those were based on designed roll-outs.
Yeah, and?
And you are asking if rookies can improve their technique? Ummm... yes.
If we are being honest, he did not struggle because we hardly dropped back in a normal pocket. That's fine, not sure we will get away with that every week when we play teams with more offensive firepower than the Bears and we need to score with more regularity.
Shhhhh... you're not supposed to acknowledge the running game, despite the fact the Giants ran for about 270 yards on Sunday and are off to their best rushing season in history.
I expect him to be a franchise cornerstone.
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Evan Neal didn't struggle on Sunday.
And you are asking if rookies can improve their technique? Ummm... yes.
If we are being honest, he did not struggle because we hardly dropped back in a normal pocket. That's fine, not sure we will get away with that every week when we play teams with more offensive firepower than the Bears and we need to score with more regularity.
Sure. But he wasn't an issue on Sunday. In fact, he was an asset. So I find the timing of this thread odd.
Neal's going to have some rough games as he adjusts to the speed of the pro game. But if you ask me, he's already proven he's going to be, at worst, a serviceable RT. And perhaps significantly better than that.
I'm not worried about the guy at all.
Yep it was the same ones wanting them to draft another QB, how is Thomas doing now? Tackles are what you build your team around. We have 1 stud and hopefully a future stud. Neal needs what all rookies need time. Time to process his technique, to understand what other players tendencies are and just basically experience. He will be fine. Get Gates back and we are going places with this OL.
Cite your sources.
His feet have, in every instance I've seen, been cited as a strength.
Worst thing said about him is he SOMETIMES gets off-balance, but I have not read one report that cited "poor balance." It's simply a consistency issue with Neal, not a fundamental, ingrained weakness. The grade he was given in most cases was future pro bowl or even All-Pro.
You don't see those prospect grades for tackles with poor feet and balance.
If anything, Ekwonu was the guy that struggled with footwork and balance in pass-pro.
His feet have always been graded out very well, particularly for a man his size, as an athletic tackle.
Cowboys had him top 2 on their board overall, they've done really well in drafting OL.
Sy'56 gave him an 87 grade (future Pro Bowler).
Take a look at his tape against Trayvon Walker. He faced the best the college game had to offer. 3-year starter, came out as a junior. Started as a true freshman at Alabama of all places. Allowed 2 sacks in 15 games his junior season.
His floor is better than average starting NFL tackle, his ceiling is what Andrew Thomas is doing right now.
These young OL guys are getting taught new techniques while having to go against a caliber of edge rusher that they've never seen before. It's rare for them to just figure it out from the jump.
I actually think Neal has flashed more potential than Thomas did at the same point in time. Neal has had some awful moments in pass pro (Dallas game smh), but his run blocking has been as advertised with some impressive plays.
Too early to say either way. But so far my opinion of Neal's future potential has remained unchanged from 2 months ago.
Don’t forget he is learning new blocking techniques this season.
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In comment 15848294 Eric from BBI said:
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You're asking if Neal will turn out like Thomas or Flowers?
Do you think anyone here actually knows the answer to that?
I didn’t ask that at all.
Sure you did.
Respectfully, please don’t put words in my mouth. Pet peeve of mine, thx
I think you need to look around the league and certainly in the past that there have been many OTs 6'7 or taller who have succeeded at a high level in the NFL. Is that what you are asking?
Neal has already had stretches of dominant pass blocking. In the first half in week 1 vs TENN, their pass rushers had stretches of what looked to me like utter futility going against Neal.
The last couple of weeks have been rougher but all the signs on Neal look really favorable to me.
Very encouraging to read this.
Knock people backwards
Evan… meet your new teacher, Preston Smith.
He was not known for poor balance and feet. He was considered the #1 player in the draft for a time and a top 5 pick
Bryant McKinney, John Ogden, Orlando pace, Andrew Whitworth, jumbo elliott, were all 6'7 or taller. Joe Thomas and brick ferguson was 6'6.
I dont think Neal is top heavy. He's decidedly lean for an Offensive Tackle. He is not carrying around belly weight or flab.
This...I watched and Skinner said it wasn't perfect but shows improvement. The guy isn't Flowers. Erik Flowers looked the part but didn't have the skills, coachability or intangibility that Neal has. Neal is also a freak athlete for his size while Flowers was a lump on scholarship. All we can ask is weekly progress to get to where he is a strength. Patience
Varying degrees of success, but finding that it's frankly not uncommon at all.
I dont think Neal is top heavy. He's decidedly lean for an Offensive Tackle. He is not carrying around belly weight or flab.
Thanks. He is lean but was concerned Re ability to anchor and with the height and fact he winds up on the ground quite a bit. Wanted to know if it could be coached out through technique or his height and not being bottom heavy presented additional obstacles.
Sy'56 gave him an 87 grade (future Pro Bowler)...
...His floor is better than average starting NFL tackle, his ceiling is what Andrew Thomas is doing right now.