Having taken Trevor Lawrence first overall the year prior, the Jacksonville Jaguars had a tough decision with the top overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft: They could fortify their offensive line with either Evan Neal or Ikem Ekwonu, or bolster their pass rush with Travor Walker or Aidan Hutchinson. In the end, they rolled with Walker's upside.
While Hutchinson has so far proven to be the best player of the bunch, Walker has, by no means, been a slouch, having posted 10 sacks in consecutive seasons. Add the fact that Neal will need to prove his worth to stay with the New York Giants in 2022, and it's fair to say that the Jags dodged a bullet.
Seen as a realistic choice to go first overall in 2022, Neal ultimately landed with the Giants at No. 7. Throughout his first three seasons in the Big Apple, he's dealt with inconsistency and injuries. Not surprisingly, New York declined the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.
Neal is now making the switch to left guard, a position he previously played at Alabama. However, there's no guarantee that he'll earn a roster spot because the G-Men have several options. That's led Matt Holder of Bleacher Report to include him on a list of four 2022 draft picks who could get the boot in the offseason.
"Moving forward, and with a healthy Thomas, Neal's best chance to stick around in New York is at guard," Holder said. "That said, the organization added Jon Runyan and Greg Van Roten during free agency last spring and drafted Marcus MBow a month ago, giving the team a couple of starters and a backup at the position."
Holder continued, "So, even at a different position, Neal faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster during training camp."
Would Evan Neal's career arc be any different with the Jacksonville Jaguars?
With the Jacksonville Jaguars, Evan Neal wouldn't have had a clear path to start at either left or right tackle. At the time, they had Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor in the fold. On top of that, Walker Little was a sophomore, so Evan Neal might have needed to switch to guard if he had gone to the Jags.
At the time, Ben Bartch was the starter at left guard. While not bad, he wasn't great, and it's fair to assume that he would've had to compete with Neal. Based on how things have played out with the G-men, though, he might not have been able to hold onto the starting job for long. This isn't to say that the Jags were doing great at left guard, though.
Bartch suffered a serious knee injury in 2022 and wasn't at full strength the following year. But instead of adding insurance in the offseason, Trent Baalke stayed put until the trade deadline, and only acquired Ezra Cleveland when left guard became a glaring issue.
All things considered, the Jags made the right call when they passed on Evan Neal in favor of Travon Walker, who's poised to have a career season. On the other hand, that doesn't excuse Trent Baalke for neglecting the offensive line. Looking back, though, it's easy to see why he got the boot after the 2024 season.