The New York Giants need to reinforce their offensive line this offseason after surrendering a league-high 85 sacks in 2023. Question marks surround the Giants’ right tackle position after 2022 first-round pick Evan Neal continued to struggle, failing to take an expected step forward in his second season.
Entering this offseason, Neal’s job is far from safe. And with a robust market of right tackles expected to be available in free agency, the Giants could target a few top options to bolster the position and give Neal some competition for the starting job.
The Giants could make a splash with Mike Onwenu
New England Patriots offensive tackle Mike Onwenu is expected to hit the open market this offseason, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Onwenu will be among the top offensive linemen on the open market this offseason and he should be a priority target for the Giants.
Onwenu has a connection to the Giants’ recently hired offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. From 2020 to 2021, Bricillo coached the Patriots’ offensive line before moving over to Las Vegas to coach the Raiders. During his time in New England, Bricillo coached Onwenu in the first two seasons of his career.
In 2023, Onwenu started 15 games for the Patriots. He primarily started at right tackle but did play a fair amount of games at right guard as well, allowing just three sacks and only 23 total pressures on the campaign. Onwenu also has experience starting at left tackle and left guard in his career. He could be a versatile piece for the Giants’ offensive line, potentially filling in at one of any of the three available starting jobs in the unit.
Bringing in a familiar face for Carmen Bricillo
Bricillo last coached Onwenu and the Patriots back in 2021, but he more recently coached a handful of talented offensive linemen for the Las Vegas Raiders from 2022 to 2023. One of his top starters during that time was right tackle Jermain Eluemunor.
Eluemunor surrendered only six sacks and 28 pressures for the Raiders this season, primarily starting at right tackle. The former fifth-round pick blossomed under Bricillo’s tutelage and could reunite with his offensive line coach in New York this offseason. The Giants could snag Eluemunor as a potential bargain starter in free agency this offseason.
Spending big on a former first-rounder
Like both Onwenu and Eluemunor, Jonah Williams is another offensive tackle who possesses positional versatility. The 2019 first-round pick started all 17 games for the Bengals this season at right tackle despite spending the first four seasons of his career at left tackle.
Williams has the versatility to play on either side of the line, potentially providing the G-Men with a quality starting right tackle who could also fill in as a depth piece at left tackle in case of any injuries to Andrew Thomas.
In 2023, Williams surrendered eight sacks and 41 total pressures, marking a down-year for the veteran tackle. Perhaps a change of scenery would allow him to bounce back and improve his play. A potential move to New York would allow Williams to compete for the starting right tackle position with Neal and provide them with serviceable quality as a starter.