Giants right tackle Evan Neal in concussion protocol

Giants right tackle Evan Neal left Friday’s padded practice with a concussion and is now in the protocol, the team confirmed.

Joe Schoen’s No. 7 overall pick in 2022 put in hard work this offseason, losing 10 to 15 pounds and putting on lean muscle to improve in Year 2.

But now he has to take a step back and recover eight practices into training camp.

“The confidence has always been there,” Neal, 22, said last week of his approach. “It’s just a matter of the repetitions. This is Year 2. 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.”

The Giants won’t have a timetable for Neal, given the inexact nature of his injury. It’s safe to say they’ll err on the side of caution, however, to make sure Neal is ready for the regular season.

Brian Daboll’s team opens in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 10 on Sunday Night Football.

Matt Peart stepped in as the first-team right tackle when Neal left Friday’s practice, but it’s possible that Tyre Phillips could be the next man up in a pinch, even though he’s played a lot of guard at this camp.

The depth chart will come into focus next week when the Giants travel to Detroit for two joint practices and their preseason opener against the Lions.

Rookie center John Michael Schmitz had blood on his right thigh after Friday’s practice.

“Is that your blood or someone else’s blood?” a reporter asked.

“Could be both,” Schmitz cracked with a laugh and an enormous grin.

Behind the Midwest smile is a refreshingly nasty and “hungry” offensive lineman who has quickly grabbed hold of the No. 1 center job, spending four straight practices with Daniel Jones.

Schmitz didn’t start training camp as the top center. Daboll initially tabbed veteran Ben Bredeson and created a first-team rotation with the rookie.

Schmitz told the Daily News after the first few practices that if Daboll were sending a message, it might be: “On the field you’re gonna have to earn it.” But he said it hadn’t crossed his mind.

Now, not even two weeks into camp, it’s No. 61 snapping to No. 8. And no one else.

“When you strap up, when the pads come on, it’s kind of just a click,” Schmitz said of how he transforms when he steps on the field. “A click of just something that, I don’t know, it kinda just comes natural now. I don’t know how to say it.”

[ Giants defense seeking the right blend in young, uncertain secondary ]

The Giants signed their third defensive tackle in 11 days on Friday: ex-Chicago Bears nose tackle Donovan Jeter, a recent cut. He replaces wide receiver Jeff Smith, a spring free agent signing that the Giants waived with an injury designation.

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Daboll’s interior defensive line is down Leonard Williams (“rest”), A’Shawn Robinson (PUP list), DJ Davidson (PUP list) and Vernon Butler (injured reserve). So the Giants need bodies.

Williams’ two-day absence for what Daboll called “rest” is worth monitoring. The Giants had off Wednesday, yet Williams still received the next two practices off for what the team called mostly rest-related reasons.

It’s worth remembering that Williams needed to heal nerve damage in his neck this offseason that was created by multiple stingers he played through late last season.

All told, the Giants have signed four defensive tackles since mid-June: Kobe Smith (June 15), Brandin Bryant (July 24), Kevin Atkins (July 27) and Jeter. That’s on top of signing Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Bucs) and Robinson (Rams) in the spring and taking Jordan Riley (Oregon) in the NFL Draft’s seventh round.

Nunez-Roches fortunately came out of an early training camp car accident OK, and he has lined up next to Dexter Lawrence with the first-team defense in Williams’ absence.

“Looking at that accident and both vehicles being totaled, it was definitely an eye-opener,” Nunez-Roches said this week. “At the same time, shoot, I am in a car wreck every week at practice, so it wasn’t anything different, fortunately. God blessed me to be safe, no bumps, bruises or broken anything, so it was all good.”

Inside linebacker Cam Brown tipped a Tyrod Taylor pass that Carter Coughlin intercepted in the 11-on-11 period. Brown and Coughlin are both special teamers whose livelihoods are being squeezed by the NFL’s new rules limiting kickoffs. Making plays on defense is imperative, and Friday was a good step. … Daniel Bellinger, Parris Campbell, Darius Slayton, Collin Johnson, David Sills and Saquon Barkley all caught touchdowns. Some were in a goal line period. … Campbell was back at practice after resting on Thursday. … Jason Pinnock got flagged for taunting when Isaiah Hodgins dropped a slant in traffic over the middle and Pinnock called him out for it. … Kayvon Thibodeaux forced Daboll to blow one play dead with what would have been a sack of Jones. … Oshane Ximines, practicing for a resting Azeez Ojulari, blew up a jet sweep to Kalil Pimpleton. … Mark Glowinski moved back to the first-string right guard spot after playing on the second O-line on Thursday. Friday’s interior combination was Bredeson-Schmitz-Glowinski. The second offensive line featured Korey Cunningham at left tackle, Josh Ezeudu at left guard, Shane Lemieux at center, Phillips at right guard and Peart at right tackle. Bredeson also played center with the third-string O-line since Jack Anderson missed a second straight practice with an undisclosed injury (“it’s not anything long-term,” Daboll said). Edge Jihad Ward continued ramping up his individual work but still hasn’t gotten back into team drills since the first day of camp. … The Giants have another padded practice on Saturday night.