Alabama OL Evan Neal lands with Giants after being drafted No. 7 overall

Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal finally has an NFL home. During the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday night, the former five-star prospect out of IMG Academy in Florida was selected No. 7 overall by the New York Giants.

Neal was a three-year starter along Alabama’s offensive line.

He arrived in 2019 and almost immediately assumed the starting role at left guard. Then as a sophomore, he kicked over to right tackle. Despite being somewhat uncomfortable in his new role initially, Neal was thriving as usual by the end of 2020. Then this past season, he showed off even more versatility by moving to Bryce Young’s blindside.

After starting 40 games in three seasons, Neal broke through and was named a consensus first-team All-American by the AFCA, FWAA and The Sporting News. At 6-foot-7, 337 pounds, he’s got everything an NFL team is looking for in a future All-Pro offensive tackle.

Neal is also now the ninth offensive lineman out of Alabama to be selected in the first round of the draft.

• Andre Smith (2009) – Bengals (No. 6)
• James Carpenter (2011) – Seahawks (No. 25)
• Chance Warmack (2013) – Titans (No. 10)
• D.J. Fluker (2013) – Chargers (No. 11)
• Ryan Kelly (2016) – Colts (No. 18)
• Jonah Williams (2019) – Bengals (No. 11)
• Jedrick Wills (2020) – Browns (No. 10)
• Alex Leatherwood (2021) – Raiders (No. 17)

Leading up to tonight’s festivities, Neal was filled with excitement. During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, he shared the difference between what it’s like going through the recruiting process compared to the NFL draft.

“It’s going to be exciting to see,” Neal responded when asked where he might end up. “Wherever I end up, it’s definitely going to be a blessing. I’m just as excited as you guys are. It’s different from being in high school – you get to choose where you want to go. At this point, it’s the uncertainty of being chosen. It’s going to be exciting to see.”

Unsurprisingly, there’s quite a difference between the two.

After speaking with Saban and some others on Alabama’s coaching staff this offseason, former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, now the head coach for the Giants, came away impressed with Neal.

“A lot of people down at Alabama that I trust have a lot of confidence in him and had a lot of good things to say about him,” Daboll said during a press conference soon after the pick. “… Certainly, you have relationships in this business, whether it’s from team to team in the NFL or, in this case, college teams.

“Obviously, I know a lot of people down there, so they were very helpful. They were big proponents of Evan, rightfully so. He’s a good player. But you’re also trying to get to know the person. How does he treat the GAs? How is he in the cafeteria? The type of people we want to build our program with, he fits it to a T.”

New York is getting an extremely hard worker. At Alabama, Neal was known as a great player and an even better locker room presence. His experience playing multiple positions should help him find a spot in the starting lineup sooner rather than later.

Coming out of high school, Neal was a five-star prospect who was rated as the nation’s No. 5 overall player, No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 2 player from the state of Florida, according to the On3 Consensus rankings.

Other Neal Stories You Might Be Interested In

Evan Neal says Alabama teammate was toughest to block in SEC

Evan Neal shares unique story on first time Nick Saban met family

Neal, Williams are next Saban first-round picks

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