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Giants Center Jon Feliciano Reveals Interesting Nugget Regarding Rookie Tackle Evan Neal

Evan Neal has looked like a rookie at times, but there's a logical explanation for that besides the fact he is a rookie.

Patricia Traina

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The New York Giants have big hopes for offensive tackle Evan Neal, the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft and their second of two first-round picks.

But Neal, regarded as one of the safest bets among the offensive tackle class, has appeared to have some struggles in one-on-one pass drills, which most people realize favors the defensive side of the ball given the freedom and variety of ways a defender can attack. 

That said, another factor is at play with the 6-foot-7 Neal that his veteran linemate, center Jon Feliciano, revealed as a potential speed bump the rookie was looking to overcome.

"He’s working through some new techniques that he’s getting better with," Feliciano said.

Any tweak to an offensive lineman's technique--especially a young offensive lineman--is almost certain to create a little adjustment at first. Last week, guard Shane Lemieux revealed that Bobby Johnson, the team's offensive line coach, has taught slightly different techniques since the team reconvened in the spring.

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"The sets, I guess, are a little bit flatter, more aggressive for the guards. Tackles really aren’t any different in their pass sets. But combo blocks, run blocking, footwork’s a little bit different than something I’ve been used to," Lemieux said when asked what's different under Johnson.  

Jonson has also been stressing playing aggressively to his linemen, something Feliciano said the unit has embraced. 

"That’s our starting point," he said. "If you are playing a guy that’s a double arm, swipe big guy – a guy that is going to try to play the edges – we have different things to deal with that sort of thing. 

"Our whole philosophy as the o-line is staying in the depth and width of the pocket so we can get on a guy early and quick so it will help with the depth of the pocket."

If that means adjusting to different techniques to accomplish the goal, isn't that what training camp is for in the first place?

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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