Evan Neal did not impress on his rookie contract, but the Giants are giving the former first-round offensive lineman another chance. New York’s new coaching staff is also circling back to another blocker from Joe Schoen‘s first draft class.
Joshua Ezeudu, despite missing the 2025 season, is following Neal in re-signing with the Giants, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Big Blue drafted Ezeudu in the 2022 third round, and the John Harbaugh-led staff will give him another shot.
Injuries have been a problem for Ezeudu, whom the Giants placed on IR after setting their roster last August. New York gave the North Carolina alum a return designation but did not activate him before season’s end. Toe trouble has plagued Ezeudu, who missed all of the 2025 slate because of toe surgery. He went down with a season-ending toe injury in 2023 and suffered a neck injury to wrap his 2022 rookie season.
Starting 10 career games, Ezeudu has seen time at guard and tackle. The Giants used him as an Andrew Thomas left tackle fill-in during the 2023 season, though he struggled in the role and soon saw the first toe matter remove him from the equation. The Giants had expected Ezeudu to beat out Ben Bredeson for a starting guard job in 2023, but that proved to underestimate Bredeson — who later scored a nice Buccaneers payday. Ezeudu was working as the Giants’ swing tackle during the 2024 offseason.
After logging 289 rookie-year snaps at left guard, Ezeudu has primarily lined up at LT since. He has made 10 career starts. Given the fifth-year veteran’s issues staying healthy, it would surprise if this deal surpassed the vet minimum by much (Neal did not receive any guaranteed money on a one-year, $1.2MM deal, according to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan). The Giants, however, have not beefed up their O-line in free agency.
LG Jon Runyan Jr., a rumored cut candidate, remains on the roster. The team dropped out of the bidding for Alijah Vera-Tucker and also stood down on rumored target Wyatt Teller, who joined the Texans today. Although the team re-signed RT Jermaine Eluemunor, two-year RG Greg Van Roten‘s free agency points to a starter-level guard investment at some point. But Neal and Ezeudu should be in the mix for swing roles, carrying potential upside for more, as the offseason program nears.
In other Giants contract news, fullback Patrick Ricard‘s two-year, $7.64MM deal includes $3.54MM guaranteed at signing (per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). Two other ex-Ravens following Harbaugh to the Big Apple — safety Ar’Darius Washington and punter Jordan Stout — joined the team on three- and one-year deals, respectively. Washington’s one-year, $3MM pact includes $1.5MM guaranteed at signing, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. Stout’s $12.3MM accord makes him the NFL’s highest-paid punter (at $4.1MM AAV). The 2025 All-Pro will receive $6.32MM fully guaranteed, per Wilson.
Micah McFadden secured $2.9MM fully guaranteed, per Wilson, on his second Giants contract (one year, $3.75MM), while Duggan adds Jason Sanders joined the Giants on a one-year, $1.43MM deal with a $300K guarantee. That is considerably less than the team gave injury-prone kicker Graham Gano in 2023.