It is no secret that the New York Giants desperately need more support on the offensive line. This past season, the Giants once again hosted the worst-ranked pass-blocking group in football, allowing 267 pressures and 45 sacks.
General manager Joe Schoen knows that putting his quarterback behind the same line he constructed last season is a death wish. Fortunately, the Giants have money to spend and plenty of draft capital to plug multiple positions following the hiring of Carmen Bricillo, who’s coming from the Las Vegas Raiders.
Revamping the Offensive Line
The Raiders enjoyed the 13th-ranked pass-blocking and 14th-ranked run-blocking unit, according to PFF. They hosted an above-average line in 2023, something the Giants haven’t had in over a decade. However, there are a few free agents that make perfect sense for the Giants, and Schoen will certainly be considering a few acquisitions.
Three Free Agent Offensive Linemen That Make Perfect Sense for the Giants
1.) Jermaine Eluemunor
The most obvious of the group is Jermaine Eluemunor, a 29-year-old player who is coming off his best season with the Raiders. Given his familiarity with Bricillo, reuniting the two makes plenty of sense.
The Giants can theoretically release Mark Glowinski, saving $5.7 million in salary space, and move it right over to a prospective contract offer to Eluemunor. He is projected to have a $7.5 million per season salary, according to Over the Cap, which is well within the Giants’ financial bounds, given they would be clearing money from Glowinski’s contract and plugging the starting right tackle position with a solid player.
This past season, Eluemunor played 905 snaps, giving up 28 pressures and six sacks. Considering that Evan Neal played about half that many snaps and gave up 30 pressures, it’s fair to say this would be a move in the right direction. If the Giants want a relatively inexpensive starter at right tackle, Eluemunor makes perfect sense on a multi-year deal, especially since he already understands their blocking scheme.
2.) Mike Onwenu
Another option is Mike Onwenu, a 26-year-old coming from the New England Patriots. Traditionally speaking, Patriots players struggle to transition to other teams, but Onwenu has been a good player for years.
This past season, he gave up 23 pressures and three sacks over 850 snaps, playing 656 at right tackle and 194 at right guard. Guard is his preferred spot based on his past efficiency, but he will get paid a lot more as a tackle, so he could be looking to make the transition full-time. At the very least, the Giants would have a versatile piece that can kick inside as a worst-case.
Onwenu has a $10.38 million per season valuation, and given he’s three years younger than Eluemunor, this makes plenty of sense.
3.) Greg Van Roten
If the Giants want to go much cheaper, Greg Van Roten presents a solid option. Now 33 years old and turning 34 next year, the former undrafted free agent gave up just 21 pressures and five sacks over 1025 snaps. He had his best campaign by far after struggling with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills the three years prior to his 2023 season with the Raiders. He’s capable of playing both left and right guard, so the Giants would be adding a competitor with plenty of experience at an affordable cost.
Van Roten earned just $1.165 million in base salary last season, and given he’s only getting older and has mostly been inconsistent throughout his career, the Giants could land him at a cheap price point to add competition at the guard spot.