Giants right tackle Evan Neal’s reduced on-field workload was dialed back even further Tuesday on the first day of mandatory minicamp.
Neal is simply following the recommendations of the surgeon who operated on the fracture in his left foot late last season, the Daily News was told after practice.
But it stood out again on Tuesday — just as it did at last Thursday’s OTA practice — that Neal was physically removed from the rest of the team.
He emerged from the weight room midway through practice dripping sweat from an indoor workout and watched some of practice before returning inside.
That was an even more dramatic step than last Thursday’s open practice, which saw Neal dialed back from individual work and riding a bike about 70 yards away from the rest of the team stretching — a group that included multiple players who ultimately didn’t practice.
“You’ll see him at training camp,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “He’s about the same [as he has been]. We’re going to back off him here and hopefully we can get — the plan is right now as of whatever today is, I think we should have everybody ready to go for training camp, which is important.”
“So we’re going to be smart with a few people,” Daboll added. “Then hopefully once training camp [on] July 24 hits, unless something happens between now and then, hopefully we’ll have everybody.”
It’s critical to document and monitor Neal’s slow progression here, though, because his health and improvement will be vital for the Giants’ offensive line in his third NFL season.
GM Joe Schoen drafted Neal No. 7 overall in 2022 and has assembled no reliable depth behind him. The Giants plan to start Neal at right tackle and give him a chance to protect that job when he’s ready, but circumstances outside the player’s control have slowed that process.
Neal, 23, was diagnosed with a sprained ankle after getting hurt on Nov. 5 of last season in Las Vegas, and he was initially rehabbing it as a sprain.
But then the Giants abruptly shut him down and put him on injured reserve on Christmas Eve due to a new diagnosis of a fracture that required surgery, which was first reported by The News on Dec. 29.
The result was Neal never got back on the field late last season, and he underwent surgery that required rehab into the spring and now has significantly impacted his practice participation.
Unless Daboll intends to move free agent signing Jermaine Eluemunor outside this summer after practicing Eluemunor at left guard seemingly wire-to-wire this spring, the next tackle up is third-year pro Josh Ezeudu, a converted guard.
Ezeudu, a 2022 Schoen third-round pick, had a rough time last season after the Giants put him in a training camp guard rotation and then moved him out at left tackle to protect Daniel Jones when Andrew Thomas and Matt Peart got hurt.
“We thought we would give him an opportunity here to play tackle this spring and let him hone in on both sides and continue to work and improve,” Daboll said Tuesday.
If the Giants had to move Eluemunor out to right tackle, free agent signing Aaron Stinnie — who has been working with the twos — presumably would slide up to left guard with the starters.
Schoen also added former Detroit Lion Matt Nelson at tackle in free agency, but Nelson has been on the side most of the spring and worked with the third-team offense Tuesday. He is an unknown commodity.
Ideally, for the Giants’ sake, Neal’s medical and rehab plan results in the best version of a player Schoen selected over the likes of Seahawks tackle Charles Cross and Jets receiver Garrett Wilson two years ago.
But the outward signs so far have indicated more caution than confidence.
RECEIVER HIGHS AND LOWS
Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson had a strong practice, starting with a slant from Drew Lock that Robinson took to the house for a touchdown after beating corner Cor’Dale Flott off the line.
But it wasn’t a great day for the Giants’ receivers. Three of them left practice with apparent injuries: Darius Slayton, Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Chase Cota.
Cota, a third-stringer, landed hard on his left shoulder diving for a deep pass from Nathan Rourke and was carted off the field. Ford-Wheaton, who hauled in a deep corner route from Tommy DeVito, walked off with a trainer seemingly looking at his right shoulder.
Slayton slipped while running a route to the right of Lock in the red zone, initially struggled to get up and then limped off the field with a trainer before going inside for good.
There were no immediate updates on those players.
WHERE’S THE BEARD?
Daniel Jones’ beard was gone on Tuesday, but the Giants quarterback left the door open to the possibility that it could return.
“I had to clean it up a little bit,” Jones said with a laugh. “Had to clean it up. But we’ll see. We’ll see. We had picture day yesterday, and it was just time to clean it up.”
Although Jones won’t progress to 11-on-11 team reps this week — and didn’t get even 7-on-7 reps Tuesday because Daboll eliminated the period — Jones reiterated that he intends to be full-go when training camp starts.
“I expect to be ready to go [on] the first day of training camp,” he said.
Daboll said Jones will be organizing some teammates for a workout away from the Giants’ facility in between now and the start of camp in late July. Jones confirmed it will happen somewhere outside of Charlotte, N.C.
Daboll also said Drew Lock has “definitely improved” but remains the clear backup.
“Good [for Lock] to get two more work days here with the guys that he might not necessarily get as many reps with once we get to training camp,” Daboll said.
WHAT THE BELL?
Tight end Daniel Bellinger claimed Tuesday that he is not taking many, if any, team reps so that rookie Theo Johnson and teammate Lawrence Cager can gain more experience.
He said he is fine and “nothing physically” is holding him back.
“Nothing physically,” Bellinger said. “Just staying locked in mentally and watching Theo and Cage grow.”
So he’s just getting rest?
“I wouldn’t say rest,” Bellinger said. “Just kind of like letting Theo grow and getting more mental growth to Theo and Cage and everybody to take a step as a whole tight end room instead of just myself taking all the reps.”
Bellinger also missed one of the open OTA practices earlier this spring. Something doesn’t add up.
TRYOUTS AND WORKOUTS
Four tryout players practiced with the Giants on Tuesday: corner Tre Herndon III, tight ends Noah Togiai and Geor’quarius Spivey, and offensive lineman Kellen Diesch. Herndon, 28, who has played all six of his NFL seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars, is worth monitoring given the Giants’ need for an outside corner starter, if not depth, in the secondary. … The Giants worked out UFL running back Jacob Saylors, 23, after Tuesday’s practice. Saylors spent part of last season with the Atlanta Falcons practice squad before going on IR. He recently had 461 rushing yards and five TDs in nine games for the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks.
PRACTICE NOTES
Rookie corner Dru Phillips intercepted a DeVito pass that was dropped and tipped up by receiver Dennis Houston. Corner Kaleb Hayes also had two pass breakups. … Neal, returner Gunner Olszewski (left foot), tight end Jack Stoll and corners Tre Hawkins III and Aaron Robinson did not practice. Hawkins and Robinson were the only two players who were not seen at all on or next to the fields, even in the rehab group, on Tuesday. … The following players worked on the side and also did not practice: linebackers Micah McFadden and Isaiah Simmons, defensive tackle Timmy Horne, wideout Isaiah McKenzie (who fielded punts briefly), corner Stantley Thomas-Oliver III and safety Gervarrius Owens. … Edge Azeez Ojulari practiced but did not take any team reps. … Left tackle Andrew Thomas and pass rushers Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns all participated but received a late period in practice off as part of some likely load management.
