Despite a clear need, the Giants haven’t done a whole lot to address the guard position during the early portion of the offseason. While the front office did pursue some of the top free agent options, they’ll now turn their focus to “bargain” free agents and the draft, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
The Giants featured one of the worst guard tandems in the NFL last season, with both Greg Van Roten and Jon Runyan struggling. After re-signing with the franchise last offseason, Van Roten is now a free agent, and that presented the Giants with an opportunity to find an upgrade at the position.
According to Schwartz, the front office was involved in the Alijah Vera-Tucker sweepstakes, but they were unwilling to reach the three-year, $42MM deal he ultimately inked with the Patriots. David Edwards ($61MM), Zion Johnson ($49.5MM), Isaac Seumalo ($31.5MM), and John Simpson ($30MM) also garnered lucrative deals, but the Giants believed these values did not match “the quality of the player at the position.”
While the team did bring back former first-round pick Evan Neal on a league-minimum deal, there’s still clear work to be done at the position. As Schwartz notes, the organization doesn’t only need to find a replacement for Van Roten at right guard. Coach John Harbaugh also wants to find a player who can compete with Runyan on the left side of the line, meaning the Giants are in the market for multiple guards at the moment.
The aforementioned free agent “bargains” could be options for that LG competition, as there are few (if any) definitive starters left in free agency. That means the front office may have to turn to the draft to find their solution at RG. Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane is widely regarded as the best prospect at his position, although he’d be a clear reach for the Giants at No. 5.
That means the organization may have to wait until the second round to fill the hole. That could lead the front office to the likes of Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon, Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis, or Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge.