General manager Joe Schoen made edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux (No. 5 overall) and offensive tackle Evan Neal (No. 7) the first two draft picks of his tenure, looking for both players to be cornerstones for the future of the franchise.
Overall, Thibodeaux’s rookie season was better than Neal’s. Still, neither player had the impact that might have been hoped for in their rookie seasons. Thibodeaux had just 4.0 sacks in 14 games. Neal surrendered 8 sacks and was Pro Football Focus’s lowest-graded tackle out of 57 qualifiers.
Both players are hoping for steps forward in 2023.
“They’ve had a year under their belt.