Former New York Giants first-round draft pick Evan Neal will switch from offensive tackle to defender this summer. For a 6-foot-7-foot-weight, 340-pound player, this is not a natural improvement, he is seen as a typical tackle.

Neal, the seventh overall pick for the 2022 NFL Alabama NFL Draft, was seen as a prospect of “doing nothing” and was missed in some way. Injury and poor performance caused the giant to move Neil away and try him elsewhere along the line.

If Neil can make the transition, it will be the true boon of Big Blue. On Thursday, Assistant General Manager Brandon Brown talked about the experiments organized by the OTAs so far.

"I think when you look at the job descriptions in our system, can he create movement on the melee line? Can he keep internal companies firmly protected? We've seen Evan do it before. We need flash consistent."

"He has been all acquired. Just knowing that relying on his strengths, not many people are as big as he is on his mind and maintaining a better balance. Cam (Brisilo) and James (Ferentz) have been working with him all the spring. Evan put his work into his work.

"We're very happy to see everything he showed when he showed up in the mat in the camp. It's very nice to see that he has the physical tools and skills for internal transitions. We just have to see it consistently."

Neal was logged out by fans and experts after three seasons. The Giants’ efforts to save his career by changing job changes are seen as the long term. Although his path is clear and he will have every chance to win a seat, it is hard to see Neil postpone it.

Brown believes Neil's scale, strength and natural abilities will help him.

"He's a big guy," Brown said. "When you look at the prototype size, you can look throughout the league, like offensive lines like Baltimore. Some people, some in Philadelphia, are bigger than typical prototypes."

Brown stressed that Neal's agility doesn't work for him on tackles, but may work for him in the Guards.

"What are job descriptions and techniques? If you want him to pull out space and do a lot of redirection on the second level, that's not his game," Brown said. "He's a guy who can create action. He's a guy who can absorb power and anchor in passing protection. We have to continue to improve the technology, use and balance in the hands.

Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka also made progress on Thursday’s OTA.

"Evan did a great job," Kafka said. "He was transitioning. He did it in college. Again, it was like the nature of a camp. It wasn't a full camp, but you could work a lot, you could work, practice alone, practice through a suit, and Evan did a great job. Glad for him."

Neal even attended some of Guard's first team representatives at Thursday's meeting.