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New York Giants offensive lineman Evan Neal is in a curious position as he enters his fourth NFL season. As of right now, he is a colossal draft bust who has not even come close to resembling the dominant, can't-miss prospect he was at Alabama. But he doesn't have to be.

After three years of poor play at right tackle and injuries led to the Giants not picking up his fifth-year option, Evan Neal has made a position change and is competing for the starting right guard job on Big Blue's offensive line. With pads on in training camp and the offensive line getting a better opportunity to work on its form, this week has offered an opportunity for Neal to make an impression as he tries to claim the starting job currently occupied by veteran incumbent Greg Van Roten.

Neal spoke to reporters on Tuesday about his position change, expressing gratitude for his opportunity and downplaying the idea that he had resisted switching to guard after playing a more glamorous position at right tackle opposite Andrew Thomas his first three years.

"I'm just focused on playing football. I still have an opportunity in this league, and I'm grateful for that," Neal said. "The acceptance part of it, that really was never in my head because at the end of the day, I'm just grateful to still be able to play the game that I love."

Helping change the narrative around Neal and fuel optimism that he can still have value to the Giants are the numerous other players who have gone from being failed tackles to standout guards. The new poster child for that group, of course, is Mekhi Becton -- who went from a flop at tackle for the New York Jets to excelling at guard and winning a Super Bowl last year with the Philadelphia Eagles. Another Giants draft bust -- Ereck Flowers -- later salvaged his NFL career as a quality guard.

Though Neal was the No. 7 overall pick in 2022 with a pedigree of dominance at Alabama, the red flags that emerged in his game as a rookie turned into outright alarm bells early in the 2023 season when he became the face of a historically awful Giants offensive line that gave up 85 sacks -- including many well after quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a neck injury and torn ACL in separate incidents. It didn't help that Neal torpedoed any goodwill he had with Giants fans, whom he referred to as "sheep" that "flip hot dogs and hamburgers" after taking umbrage at boos over the offense's performance. And that was before a high ankle sprain cost him both the second half of 2023 and the first half of 2024.

In a reversal from those part remarks, Neal said he can't control the opinion of others as he tries to shed his "bust" label and finally succeed as an NFL player.

"I can be as good as I want to be, 'cause I know how hard I work," Neal told the New York Post. "I put in the time, I put in the hours, and I come out here and I bust my behind every day. And I can feel myself getting better. So that's the mindset."