The Giants can clean house, but they have to keep one coach from leaving

The New York Giants’ offensive line has been the team’s kryptonite for the better part of the last decade, dating back to the final years of the Eli Manning Era.

But this season, that major weakness has turned into a major strength, as the Giants’ offensive line has finally turned a corner.

The Giants’ offensive line is a top-15 unit in the NFL

In PFF’s recent weekly ranking of the best offensive lines in the league, the Giants came in at a respectable No. 15 — a major improvement from the 28th overall ranking they opened the season with:

“Right guard Greg Van Roten had an excellent day in Week 12, allowing just one quarterback hurry on his way to an 81.8 PFF pass-blocking grade, which placed 10th among guards in Week 12,” PFF’s Zoltán Buday wrote.

“Center John Michael Schmitz Jr. has shown improvements in pass protection this season. The third-year player is giving up pressure on 3.5 % of pass plays this year, which is the best rate of his career.”

LT Andrew Thomas was listed as the best player on the unit, a label he has been given for several years now:

“Thomas has earned an 84.8 PFF overall grade this season, ranking fifth among offensive tackles.”

The Giants need to keep OL coach Carmen Bricillo

The architect behind this iteration of Big Blue’s O-line is offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. He has been coaching the unit for two seasons now, but has been coaching individuals in the unit for far longer.

Bricillo played a critical role in the signings of RG Greg Van Roten and RT Jermaine Eluemunor in the 2024 offseason, thanks to his history of coaching the two players previously.

Bricillo was the offensive line coach of the Las Vegas Raiders from 2022 to 2023, where he coached Van Roten and Eluemunor. Now, he has been working with those two players for four years, and that semblance of continuity is helping them play the best football of their careers.

Continuity is key, and Bricillo has proven that, with continuity, he can develop offensive linemen until they reach their maximum potential. That is why the Giants need to maintain continuity in this portion of the coaching staff and keep Bricillo as their offensive line coach in 2026, no matter who they hire as their next head coach.