The New York Giants have been searching for ways to fix their offensive line for years. They have seemingly tried everything, pouring assets into the unit in both free agency and through the draft in recent offseasons. However, their line has remained a weakness, and many of the moves they made to upgrade have not panned out.
But the Giants haven’t landed such a steal on the offensive line as the one they selected in the fifth round of this year’s draft. The selection of Purdue OL Marcus Mbow was one of the biggest steals in the draft, and it could be the move that finally upgrades the Giants’ offensive line.
The Giants stole Marcus Mbow in the fifth round of the NFL Draft
The Giants selected Mbow in the fifth round with the No. 154 overall pick in the draft. Mbow somehow fell into their lap in the fifth round despite being a prospect that they considered taking with the 105th pick in the fourth round. He also had a Day 2 projection pre-draft with many outlets expecting him to be taken in the third round.
Mbow ranked as the No. 84 overall prospect on Pro Football Focus’s Big Board. Landing him at No. 154 overall made this selection one of the biggest steals of the entire NFL Draft.
Ultimately, questions about Mbow’s height and arm length at the tackle position caused him to fall down the board. However, those questions could be answered by Mbow’s athleticism, pass-protection refinement, and versatility to play both tackle and guard. New York stated that the rookie will begin at tackle but mix in at guard as well as he assimilates with the team in training camp.
Mbow could play a big role right away for the Giants
Mbow has the potential to be a starter on the right side of the Giants’ offensive line. Jermaine Eluemunor is the current starting right tackle, however, he is in the final year of his contract. The right guard position is up for grabs with former RT Evan Neal, veteran OL Greg Van Roten, and now Mbow potentially competing for the starting job.
Mbow earned a 70.0-plus PFF overall grade in three straight seasons at Purdue, as both a right guard and right tackle. He surrendered only four sacks across his three seasons as a starter. PFF’s Max Chadwick listed Mbow as a Day 3 pick that could potentially find himself playing a big, starting role as a rookie.
Landing Mbow in the fifth round feels eerily similar to when the Kansas City Chiefs landed OL Trey Smith in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Smith, a projected third-round pick, fell in the draft (at the time for reasons unknown to most fans) due to a blood clot scare. Now, fast forward four years, and Smith is regarded as one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL.
The Giants will hope to receive similar results from their fifth-round offensive line steal that the Chiefs have enjoyed. Of course, that would set the bar of expectations unreasonably high for Mbow, and, realistically, the Giants will be pleased if he even pans out to become a serviceable starter.
But considering the talent Mbow possesses, and the lack of depth that the Giants have at right tackle and right guard, the is a clear path to him becoming a starter on this offensive line.
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