The New York Giants’ offensive line is a disaster once again. After showing some promise and signs of improvement in the early portion of the 2024 regular season, the unit has regressed into one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL again. Rebuilding the offensive line was a top priority this past offseason. However, injuries have piled up and the Giants’ offensive line’s inability to identify solid talent in the draft has been on full display.
Injuries highlight the offensive line’s lack of depth
The Giants’ offensive line essentially collapsed following the injury to star left tackle Andrew Thomas. He underwent season-ending foot surgery in October after suffering the injury in the team’s Week 6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Since then, the Giants have had a revolving door at left tackle.
2022 third-round pick Josh Ezeudu got the nod at first. After that went south, the Giants signed veteran Chris Hubbard off the 49ers’ practice squad. That didn’t go so well either, so the Giants then moved standout right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor to the left side, where he struggled noticeably more than he had on the right. Once Eluemunor got hurt, it was back to Hubbard.
The injury to Thomas set off a chain reaction that sent the offensive line spiraling out of control. This moment highlighted one fatal failure in general manager Joe Schoen’s roster construction: the offensive line depth was horrible. This was a major oversight by Schoen in the offseason. He made minimal effort to upgrade the depth behind Thomas and the rest of the line, instead banking on former draft picks to turn corners. The Giants’ lack of depth on the offensive line has been their undoing — again.
The Giants have missed on a few key acquisitions
Fueling the team’s lack of reliable depth is a struggle to acquire offensive line talent through the draft. Schoen has spent numerous draft picks on the offensive line in his three years with the team. In 2022, he selected RT Evan Neal in the first round, OG/OT Josh Ezeudu in the third round, and OG Marcus McKethan in the fifth round. In 2023, he added center John Michael Schmitz in the second round.
So far, none of these four offensive linemen that Schoen has drafted have panned out. Neal looks like an all-time bust who was selected in the top 10. Ezeudu has been a liability whenever he is on the field. McKethan is no longer on the team. Schmitz has regressed from what was already a lackluster rookie season. The Giants’ struggle to identify and develop offensive line talent in the draft has plagued them.
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To Schoen’s credit, free-agent signings Jermaine Eluemunor, Jon Runyan Jr., and Greg Van Roten have been quality contributors this season. However, relying on aging, veteran offensive linemen to patchwork a unit is not a formula for long-term success. The Giants need to draft and develop some young talent to build a cohesive offensive line for years to come.
Once again, adding talent on the offensive line will be a top priority for the Giants this offseason.
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