Jermaine Eluemunor: The Good, the Great and the Ugly
Position flexibility seems to be the name of the game for the New York Giants front office as they sign Raiders tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. The 29-year-old, seven-year veteran comes to New York after two years starting at right tackle for the Las Vegas Raiders.
With the Giants, he will represent a legitimate push for incumbent right tackle Evan Neal if the third-year player continues to struggle. However, this signing of Eluemunor seems to be a move to solidify the other guard position, where Eluemunor broke into the league.
He is a bargain and a legitimate professional along the offensive line, and he should bring a workman-like attitude to the trenches. Let’s look at the good, the great, and the ugly of the Giants' second free-agent offseason signing.
The Good: Position Flexibility
Eluemunor was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens to play guard. In his first three years in the league (two with the Ravens and one with the Patriots), he was a depth player at guard. In his fourth season (his second with New England), he moved to right tackle and recorded eight starts.
The next season, he signed with the Raiders and returned to guard for a season before he locked in at tackle in his second season with Las Vegas. Over his career, he recorded 422 snaps at left tackle, 534 snaps at right guard, and 1,861 snaps at right tackle.
If the plan is to continue to have Neal at right tackle, the coaching staff will likely slide Eluemunor in at right guard, and if Neal gets banged up or does not perform, he is ready to slide into that position.
The Great: Pass Protection
Eluemunor has been a reliable pass protector for the Raiders over the last couple years. He has only allowed nine sacks over 1,100 snaps in that time. He does not stonewall defenders, but he definitely has mastered how to keep himself between the pass rusher and his quarterback.
How does he do it? He usually has quick feet and balance. He can move quickly and not get too far off his center line. This is how he neutralizes speed rushers and picks up stunts. It is also how he can make the bull rusher work harder than they might initially want to do.
The results are usually the quarterback's ability to get the ball away. It is not always the most dominant-looking performance, but it continues to be highly effective.
The Ugly: Passive Hands
One of the traits of elite offensive linemen is the violence they display with their hands. When they punch defensive linemen, it normally jolts the defender and takes them out of their original game plan.
On film, Eluemenor does not show this ability. Instead, all his run blocks look like he's trying to lean on the defender, which results in his inability to latch on to and control the defender.
Instead, there are several occasions where he was controlled, and the defender was able to make a play on the ball carrier. In pass protection, he tends to catch rushers instead of jolting them. This results in him giving up more ground than he would initially want. For as good as he is in pass protection, this is a flaw that gets exposed from time to time.
Coach’s Counsel
Eluemunor is another flexible guy who gives this offense options up front. He has spent time at left tackle, right tackle, and right guard.
If the plan is to keep Evan Neal at right tackle then there could be no better motivator for Neal than Eluemenor. In a perfect world, the Giants would place Eluemunor at right guard and Jon Runyan Jr. at left guard. If Neal struggles, slide Eluemunor back to right tackle, move Runyan to right guard, and keep it moving.
In the off-season, Eluemunor should be working on improving his explosion, which should increase the effectiveness of his punch in pass protection and run blocking.
