2022 NFL mock draft: New York Giants select Evan Neal

The New York Giants are on the clock in our 2022 Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft for their first of two picks in the top seven. Like many teams this high in the draft, the Giants are going through some level of a rebuild. With new head coach Brian Daboll in town, New York is likely hoping to unlock the potential of Daniel Jones that was never realized under Joe “quarterback sneak on third-and-9” Judge.

If offense is their focus in this year’s draft, this board couldn’t have fallen any better to them. Here’s a look at the first four picks in our community mock.

POD Community Mock Draft picks so far:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
2. Detroit Lions: Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
3. Houston Texans: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
4. New York Jets: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

To decide the next shiny tool for Daboll, we have enlisted Pride of Detroit commenter dornand1 to act as the Giants' general manager. And with the fifth pick in the 2022 Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft, the Giants have selected... Evan Neal, offensive tackle out of Alabama.

Here’s dornand1 with the explanation for the pick:

For the Giants, this would be a dream scenario. Both of the top-rated offensive linemen are on the board for a team and offensive line that could use a major upgrade. The two options here were Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu.

Ekwonu is appealing with his aggression and mean streak. He’s also rumored to be the type of guy you want in your locker room. On the negative side, he is still a bit raw and can play out of control.

Neal is the bigger and more polished of the two tackles. He has a great combination of size and speed and has gone against top competition in the SEC as a three-year starter for Alabama. He has played on both the right side and left side as well as some guard. His versatility, size, and strength make him the selection to immediately step in as a starter for the Giants and bookend their line opposite 2020 first-round pick Andrew Thomas.

The Giants will have a great chance to improve on allowing Daniel Jones to be under pressure on 23.3 percent of dropbacks and getting sacked 22 times in 11 games. They also ranked 24th in yards per carry, and that number should improve with the addition of Neal. Evan Neal is not only one of the best players available, he fills a major need.

Erik’s thoughts:

There are several teams that will walk into this draft class with the offensive tackles at the tops of the big boards, and the Giants will most likely be one of them. As dornand1 said, this is a dream scenario where the Giants get their choice of tackle, so it’s hard to argue with this selection, as both Neal and Ekwonu make sense.

Typically, in my final paragraph, I like to give some alternative picks the team would consider, but if the board falls like this, I fully expect the Giants to pick a tackle above all other options.