The New York Giants off-season has been tumultuous. Saquon Barkley, a two-time Pro-Bowler signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles. NFL fans around the country got a behind-the-scenes look at the Giants’ brain trust attempts to get a new franchise quarterback on HBO’s Hard Knocks. Plus, starting quarterback Daniel Jones is less than a year removed from his latest injury. The pressure to make the playoffs is very real. Head coach Brian Daboll and General Manager Joe Schoen enter the third year of their tenure with only one playoff win. In a soft NFC, with only four teams projected to win more than 10 games in the conference, the G-Men have a chance to make the playoffs. The key to ensuring a successful 2024-25 season will be the play of the New York Giants revamped offensive line again.
Additions to New York Giants Revamped Offensive Line
If you watched the Giants at all in 2023, it was clear the team had a glaring weakness – their offensive line. The unit ended the year ranked 30th in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), and allowed 85 sacks. That’s the second most sacks in league history since sacks were first tracked. Before going down to a knee injury, Daniel Jones had no time to throw. Backup quarterback Tyrone Taylor was lost to injury, and the G-Men were forced to play undrafted free agent Tommy Devito in nine games.
It became clear that improving the offensive line was one of the Giants’ main priorities of the offseason. Not signing Barkley allowed the Giants to add much-needed depth to their maligned offensive line. On the first day of NFL free agency, the Giants signed two veteran interior linemen. Jon Runyan Jr. joins the Giants from the Green Bay Packers. Jermaine Eluemunor, who played the last two seasons for the Las Vegas Raiders also signed with Big Blue.
Second-year first-round pick right tackle Evan Neal’s recovery from off-season ankle surgery is taking longer than expected. Subsequently, the New York Giants also signed lineman Greg Van Roten. Van Roten also played for the Las Vegas Raiders under Giants new offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. Van Roten could be moved into the right guard spot and allow Eluemunor to shift to right tackle. The Giants are hoping that the addition of new coach Carmen Bricillo and the new veteran linemen will finally solidify the offensive line. The additions could start alongside second-year center John Michael Schmitz and left tackle Andrew Thomas.
Projected Offensive Line Starters
The Giants announced Evan Neal would be a full participant in training camp on Monday, August 12. But Neal will need time to get up to speed and improve his footwork from last season. As of the second week of preseason, the projected starters on the Giants offensive line for the regular season are most likely:
LT: Andrew Thomas
LG: Jon Runyan Jr.
C: John Michael Schmitz
RG: Greg Van Roten
RT: Jermaine Eluemunor
In rotation: Evan Neal, Josh Ezeudu, Aaron Stinnie, Austin Schlottman, and Matt Nelson.
Why the Offensive Line Matters Most
In the NFL we know that offensive unit success comes down to the strength of your offensive line. If you can’t block, you can’t run the ball or complete passes downfield. In the case of the New York Giants, the team did not re-sign its most dynamic offensive weapon in the off-season.
The Giants will likely depend on the arm of quarterback Daniel Jones throwing the ball to a young receiving corps made up of rookie standout Malik Nabers, Jalin Hyatt, and Wan’Dale Robinson. Darius Slayton is still in the mix and running back Devin Singletary will try to balance the offensive attack. But the Giants’ top playmakers are now wide receivers. That passing attack will need time to run their routes or get down the field. It’s how Brian Daboll prefers to call plays.
In Buffalo, Daboll’s offense under quarterback Josh Allen thrived with multiple receivers and a tight end spread wide in formation. The New York Giants are trying to develop their own versions of receivers Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, and tight-end Dawson Knox. But what the Daboll offense really needs are five great pass-blocking linemen and a running back chipping on any free blitzers. For this year’s version of the New York Giants to exceed expectations, the offensive line will need to lead the way.
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