New York Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal, who suffered an ankle injury in the team’s Week 9 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, was found to have a small fracture in his ankle, which is what led to his being placed on season-ending injured reserve, according to a report by the Daily News.
The 23-year-old Neal had been unable to practice since suffering what was initially believed to be a high ankle sprain on November 5 before attempting to practice earlier in the week leading up to the Saints game. Neal received a doubtful designation and was inactive for that game.
Neal was placed on injured reserve just before the Giants’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas Day. Two days later, head coach Brian Daboll said that Neal would likely need surgery for his injury.
The timeline regarding the worsening of Neal’s injury is unclear. According to The Athletic, the small fracture was discovered during a CT scan when Neal’s rehab was not progressing, an occurrence which might have suggested that he might have developed the fracture due to a hot spot in his foot that got worse as he ramped up his rehab efforts.
With the news of Neal’s injury now out there, that adds another potential layer to what the Giants might do in the first round of April’s draft. The Giants need help at quarterback, edge rusher, and receiver. With this news of Neal needing surgery this late in the season, it’s probably fair to add offensive tackle to the list of top off-season priorities.
As for Neal, who earlier this month told reporters that he was “born to play tackle” amid questions of whether his NFL future was at guard, his second NFL season comes to a disappointing close, not just because of the injury but also because of his inability to make progress at his position.
As a rookie, Neal, the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, struggles to progress in his craft. He was tied for third-most pressures allowed (52 in 534 pass-blocking snaps) with Dennis Daley of the Titans in 2022. This season, Neal allowed 30 quarterback pressures in 309 pass block snaps, tying him for 32nd (with Max Mitchell of the Jets) among tackles.
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