Once considered the Giants’ right tackle of the future, Evan Neal is viewed now through a short-term lens.
Head coach Brian Daboll and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo focused on the here and now Friday when asked about the possibility of playing Neal at guard over the final three games of the regular season to get a jump-start on evaluating where the former first-round pick might fit into the offensive line puzzle next season.
“Our focus is on Atlanta this week,” Daboll said. “We move a lot of people around [in practice]. But we’re really focused on him playing right tackle this game. But you never know.”
The Giants expect to enter next season with Andrew Thomas at left tackle and Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle.
Starting right guard (stopgap Greg Van Roten is a free agent) and swing tackle need to be addressed.
“Evan is improving at the right tackle spot and we’ll keep working at it and see where it goes from there,” Bricillo said. “Evan is a big, strong guy … that has the capability of having versatility. You want to see what his best position is. We’re playing through that to determine that.”
Neal spent the first nine games on the bench as the Giants first turned to Josh Ezeudu and Chris Hubbard after Thomas’ season-ending injury.
He has allowed 12 pressures and two sacks over five starts since he returned to the lineup — stats that suggest improvement, though scouts warn that “he is on the ground too much” and still has “balance issues” when asked by The Post.
“I’m not interested in what people outside the building say,” Bricillo said.
Former Jets first-round pick Mekhi Becton has transformed his career from an injury-plagued draft bust at tackle to a dominant guard in his first season with the Eagles.
Becton was resistant to a position change in New York — just like Neal had been before losing his starting job to Eluemunor while recovering from offseason foot surgery.
Can the Giants avoid a similar one-that-got-away situation by being proactive?
Neal played one season of left guard at Alabama.
“For myself, it’s about, ‘Where are we at this week,’ ” Bricillo said. “I understand front offices need to do that, but we can’t do that. We need to go win this week. It’s hard enough to get through a day without worrying about what might happen next year.”
QB Tommy DeVito cleared the concussion protocol and will serve as the backup to starter Drew Lock against the Falcons.
Former Giants QB Daniel Jones surprised each of his former offensive linemen with a bottle of Clase Azul tequila for Christmas, per ESPN.
Jones started 10 games before he was benched, cut and signed with the Vikings practice squad.
It is standard practice for the starting quarterback to buy a Christmas gift for the offensive line, but that responsibility was up in the air given the Giants’ quarterback carousel.
LB Bobby Okereke (back), LB Patrick Johnson (knee) and OG Aaron Stinnie (concussion) were ruled out for Sunday.
CB Greg Stroman (shoulder/shin) is doubtful.
CB Deonte Banks (rib), OLB Brian Burns (ankle/neck), RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle), LB Dyontae Johnson (ankle) and C Austin Schlottman (fibular) are questionable.
