The trenches are where hope is built and crushed, and for the New York Giants, it’s been more of the latter lately.
After enduring another rocky year up front, the Giants made the choice to run it back with a nearly identical offensive line, choosing familiarity over overhaul.
Giants add depth but skip big upgrades
The Giants didn’t spend big on marquee offensive line help this offseason.
Instead, they focused on adding competition.
Their only draft investment was Marcus Mbow out of Purdue, a fifth-round pick with intriguing movement skills and raw potential.
But Mbow is more of a long-term swing piece than an immediate starter.
That means the Giants will once again lean on a unit that struggled with injuries and consistency in 2024.
Right guard battle could shape the line’s success
The only true question mark heading into Week 1 is who takes over at right guard.
A wide-open battle looms between Jake Kubas, James Hudson, Aaron Stinnie, Greg Van Roten, and Evan Neal.
Van Roten currently holds the edge.
He was serviceable last year, giving up 35 pressures and seven sacks over 1121 snaps.
It wasn’t flashy, but it was functional—and after what the Giants endured last season, functional feels like a win.
The Evan Neal experiment enters its final phase
This is it for Evan Neal.
The former No. 7 overall pick is staring down the barrel of a make-or-break season—and the Giants are moving him inside to guard.
Neal has played 1781 snaps in his NFL career but just 459 last year due to injuries.
He gave up 17 pressures and two sacks in limited action but showed modest improvement in run blocking.
The move to guard gives him a shot to resurrect his career.
At 6’7″, 350 pounds, he has the raw strength to anchor against interior defenders.
But agility and technique were his Achilles’ heel at tackle, and he’ll need to master new footwork and hand placement inside to hold up.
The troubling part? He’s only now learning the technique.
That doesn’t scream “ready to start.”
The Giants are hoping chemistry makes a difference
For all their shortcomings in 2024, the Giants’ offensive line did flash upside early in the year before they fell apart.
Andrew Thomas remains an elite left tackle when healthy.
John Michael Schmitz has room to grow at center, Jon Runyan should offer steadiness at left guard, and Jermaine Eluemunor is a solid right tackle.
But right guard is a revolving door, and Neal’s inconsistency remains an unhealed scar.
If the Giants can get even average play at that spot, it would make a significant difference for Russell Wilson and a rebuilt offense.
If not, it could derail the entire unit again.
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