One of the Giants’ worst kept secrets was finally revealed with OTAs starting this week. Evan Neal will slide from tackle to guard, coach Brian Daboll said Wednesday.

It was a no-brainer decision given Neal’s struggles in his first three seasons. The former first-round pick lost his starting job to open last season and regained it only because of injuries to those ahead of him. His long-term future is in doubt after the Giants declined his fifth-year option.

The position change is Neal’s last chance to prove his value to the Giants. He hasn’t played left guard since his freshman year at Alabama in 2019, but Daboll is open to seeing how Neal can maximize the opportunity

“He's a big man. He's got length, he's obviously a little bit taller than I'd say traditional guards,” Daboll said. “But he's played it. He's played a number of positions since he's been at University of Alabama. He's been working hard this last month-and-a-half and look forward to getting him out there.”

Neal worked at left guard with the second team Wednesday during drills. But a new position doesn’t guarantee more playing time, with the Giants re-signing right guard Greg Van Roten this offseason. Left guard Jon Runyan Jr. also is healthy after surgery to repair an ankle injury. Second-year guard Jake Kubas also in the mix.

There’s recent precedent with Mekhi Becton switching from tackle to guard after leaving the Jets in 2023. Becton started at right guard for the Eagles last season and helped them win the Super Bowl.

Like Neal, Becton was a first-round pick. But Van Roten cautioned that being an interior lineman presents different issues than lining up at tackle.

“I just know that inside, things happen faster. The guys are bigger and there's a lot of moving parts,” said Van Roten, who’s played guard and center in his career. “If a defense is static, it's easy to play guard, but they're not static. They're very dynamic. And that's probably one of the challenges that goes kind of under the radar is how fast things can happen and how many things you need to be able to process in a short period of time.”

Van Roten noted that defensive linemen are also quicker nowadays. The Long Island native praised third-round pick and defensive tackle Darius Alexander as an example of a “big dude” who’s very athletic.

There’s also, of course, teammate Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence is continuing to rehab from a dislocated elbow but he’s at the top of tackles in the league in being tough to handle with his size and pass-rush ability.

“Honestly, with the ability that you see [in] these defensive linemen. They’re not these big fat slugs anymore. They’re very athletic, dynamic,’ Van Roten said. “And then you look at Dex inside, that is not someone I would say that I’d want in a phone booth.”

That’s the path that lies before Neal. Positions aren’t won or lost in May and June, but every rep now gets him more familiar with a new role that he and the Giants are hoping can salvage his career.

“He’s going to do whatever he can to help the organization and do what’s best for the Giants,” general manager Joe Schoen said of Neal in April. “He’s motivated. He’s had a good offseason. He’s been working hard. We’re excited to get him back in here.”

All of the Giants were present at OTAs, per Daboll, but some didn’t participate. Receiver Malik Nabers sat out Wednesday due to a toe injury that’s lingered since his college days. “Nothing serious but we’re being smart with him in terms of the rehab part of it,” Daboll said . . . Lawrence (dislocated elbow) and left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) participated in individual drills but not in 11-on-11 drills. Free agent signee James Hudson III took first team reps at left tackle . . . Russell Wilson took most of the first-team snaps at quarterback as expected, but Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart were sprinkled in during 11-on-11 drills. During one series, Dart connected with Jalin Hyatt for a touchdown in the back of the end zone with Hyatt making a leaping grab.