SAN JOSE, Calif. — At first, Charles Cross remembered it this way:
“It was, if I’m not mistaken, Evan to New York, Ickey to the Panthers and me here to Seattle,’’ Cross told The Post.
That was not quite right. It was Ickey Ekwonu to the Panthers at No. 6 in the 2022 draft, Evan Neal to the Giants at No. 7 and Cross to the Seahawks at No. 9.
“You’re right,’’ Cross said.
Those were the three top-rated offensive tackles in that class and two of those players found a home at left tackle for the team that used such a high pick on them.
Cross started 62 games in four seasons, is in the Super Bowl and last month the Seahawks committed to him with a four-year contract extension worth $104.4 million. Ekwonu started 64 games and the Panthers thought enough of him to pick up his fifth-year option, guaranteeing him $17.5 million for the 2026 season. That season is in doubt for him, though, as Ekwonu went down with a ruptured patellar tendon in the playoff loss to the Rams.
Neal? Oy vey.
The Giants did not need a left tackle in 2022. They already had Andrew Thomas — and believed Neal would be a massive right tackle to pair with Thomas for a decade. It did not work out. Neal struggled through 13 starts as a rookie and then endured injuries and poor performances the next two seasons. A move inside to guard was the last-ditch plan in 2025 and it failed. Neal did not play a single snap this past season and, at 25, will look to salvage his career somewhere else.
“I thought we were a great class,” Cross said. “Ickey’s been playing really well for Carolina, I like his game a lot. Evan, I like his game a lot too, he just had a lot of injuries throughout his career. I feel both of ’em are great players and have all the attributes they need to be successful.”
Neal is clearly not a great player.
“Everyone’s story is different,” Cross said. “He went through adversity, ups and downs. It happens.”
Cross said “selfishly, yes” when asked if he thought he should have been the first offensive tackle off the board in 2022. He said this while conducting an interview in advance of Super Bowl LX.
“You feel like you’re the best but being in Seattle was a blessing for me, the organization and teammates,’’ he said. “I’m excited to be here and be with this team so it all worked out.”
The Giants could have taken Ekwonu at No. 5 in that draft but opted for edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. When Ekwonu (North Carolina State) went No. 6, the Giants chose Neal, out of Alabama, ahead of Cross (Mississippi State).
“I thought they would take me,’’ Cross said of the Giants. “I had a lot of talks with them throughout my draft process. We talked a lot of football, them getting to know me. It’s in the past, they made their decision, no regrets. It all worked out.”
Not so much for the Giants.
