Giants' Evan Neal inspired by teammate Andrew Thomas

Giants second-year tackle Evan Neal said he lost between 10 and 15 pounds in the offseason while putting on muscle.

He finished last season at 353 pounds and weighed in “around 345” at the start of training camp on Wednesday. He hired a chef during the offseason and focused on his diet.

Smart move.

After all, the Giants just gave fellow tackle Andrew Thomas a contract extension that would get anybody’s attention.

Tackles, especially good ones, are always at a premium in the NFL. And on Wednesday, before the Giants’ first practice of training camp, Thomas signed a record-breaking deal.

The five-year, $117.5 million contract included $67 million guaranteed at signing, tops in history for an offensive lineman.

“I saw him walk in with a three-piece suit so I kind of knew what time it was,” Neal said. “Just extremely happy for him. He’s come a long way through all the adversity, all the hard work he’s put in. I can’t think of anyone that is more deserving than him, so I am extremely happy for him.”

For Neal, who struggled as a rookie, the possible reward in a few years is tangible. Thomas also had growing pains in his first season. Improvement in the all-important position of left tackle certainly is possible. So is playing for a long time.

Neal put in considerable work during the offseason trying to perfect a tighter stance, which he now seems comfortable with. He also sought tutelage from former All-Pro tackle Willie Anderson.

This spring, Thomas told reporters on a Zoom call that he had conveyed to Neal that “focusing on the process is how to get better. And we’ll all embrace him because he’s talented enough to be really good.”

While Thomas was ranked as the fourth-best tackle in the NFL by Pro Football Focus heading into the 2023 season, Neal was unranked among the 31 players graded.

Earlier this week, Thomas alluded to his journey from a struggling young player to an accomplished team leader.

“I think all of that helped me build my character,” he said. “It’s what I’ve been through, [the] different staffs, ups and downs as a player and honestly, it’s the same mentality. Obviously, I’m paid now, I’m secure now, but I’m still working the same approach [as] when I wasn’t performing well and people didn’t think I deserved to be here. So that’s the same approach that I have now.”

At the end of last season, Thomas told the media that he believed Neal would come into his second season more prepared for the rigors of the NFL.

And it seems as if he has.

Now at training camp, Neal said he feels “very comfortable.”

“Just going to use the rest of camp to continue to hone in on those skills, just make small improvements every single day,” he added. “I feel like I am never going to be a finished product, I am just going to take each day to get better and better.”

Neal seems to be inspired by Thomas and what he has accomplished in three seasons.

“Just to see somebody in your room make the improvements that he’s made, especially in the same position group, it’s just good to be around for sure, but I am confident in myself to make the jump that I need to because I know the work that I put in day in and day out,” Neal said. “I’m just excited.’’

He added: “The confidence has always been there. It’s just a matter of the repetitions. This is year two. I’ve seen everything, I’ve been in the building for a while. I’m just going out there and doing what I have been doing my entire life, which is playing football.”

By Kimberly Jones

kimberly.jones@newsday.comkimjonessports

Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.