When the New York Giants begin the 2023 NFL season, Evan Neal knows he’ll be doing the same thing he did in the 2022 season – playing right offensive tackle.

And Neal is looking forward to the continuity.

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During his three seasons at Alabama, Neal played left guard in 2019, right tackle in 2020 and left tackle in 2021. After joining the Giants as the seventh selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Neal moved back to right tackle, but New York is anchoring him there.

“I did it in college,” Neal said of his Crimson Tide shifts, “but making the jump from left tackle on the college level and right tackle on the NFL level, it made it a little bit more challenging being the fact that I played a different position basically since my senior year of high school. Never really got a chance to settle into one spot, so it kind of presented its own challenges, but I dealt with it the best way that I could. …

“Definitely looking forward to just being able to get locked into one position and refine that position, for sure.”

Neal has a list of things he wants to refine from his rookie season.

“I want to get better in all facets of the game, not just pass protection,” Neal said. “I want to be a better run blocker, a better pass protector. My knowledge and IQ of the game I want to increase and really just getting better overall. I felt like I made those improvements week to week, game by game this season. …

“I’m just going to keep working until I get there. Put my head down, keeping working. I’m going to look up to see how good I’m going to become, but it starts with the work, putting the work in, having a good offseason and just doing the necessary things it’s going to take to get there.”

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Neal had a four-game hole in the middle of his first NFL season because of a sprained medial collateral ligament sustained on Oct. 23 in the seventh game of the season. He returned on Dec. 4 and started the Giants’ remaining eight games, including two playoff contests.

“I learned a lot about resiliency,” Neal said of his first NFL campaign. “I feel like I overcame a lot of adversity. Coming in, getting hurt, not having the best games and having to battle back through it all. I’m really proud of myself for continuing to fight irregardless of whatever the outside had to say or how I was feeling.”

New York defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 on Jan. 15 for the Giants’ first postseason victory since a 21-17 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2012. The Philadelphia Eagles ended New York’s season by downing the Giants 38-7 on Jan. 21 in the second round of the NFC playoffs.

New York posted a 9-7-1 regular-season record in 2022 after going 4-13 in 2021 and made its first postseason trip since 2016.

“Extremely encouraged, for sure,” Neal said. “We came a long way as a group. It’s a testament to the guys in this locker room, and the coaching staff did a very good job with helping us get to where we are, so I’m excited to see where we can go in the future.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.