Jon Runyan Jr: The Good, the Great and the Ugly
As the news broke that running Saquon Barkley would not be re-signing with the New York Giants, general manager Joe Scheon made his first free-agent acquisition of the 2024 offseason by grabbing former Green Bay Packers swing guard Jon Runyan Jr.
The upgrade at guard became necessary partly due to continued injuries and the lack of effectiveness from 2022 free agent signee Mark Glowinski, released last week.
Runyan is only 26 years old and can hopefully fill a legitimate need for the team, but he does not come without question marks. After spending 2021 as the starting left guard, he was moved to the right to start in 2022.
In 2023, he began the season as the starter, but his snaps slowly decreased. He split equal snaps at right guard over the last four games of the season, but he still garnered less than 70 percent of the snaps in the playoffs.
The question is, why? Let's dive into his film to see what clues we can find.
The Good: Pass Blocking
Runyan has good feet as a pass blocker. He can operate from the center and tackle with ease. He does a great job of passing off rushers on stunts by not over-pursuing, reaching on blocks, or crossing his feet. He has steady eyes to see the twists and identify blitzers.
He also can absorb an interior lineman bullrush. He will give up a couple of yards while blocking, but ultimately, he can anchor down and stop quick penetration to allow the quarterback to get the ball off or escape the pocket.
The Great: Position Flexibility and Durability
Runyan’s best attribute is his ability to play effectively on the left or right side of the line. In Green Bay, he performed on both sides of the center for over a season. That flexibility can be beneficial to a coaching staff.
When they are trying to solidify the offensive line, he can fill in at either spot, depending on the strengths of the other offensive guards. Also, it becomes valuable if there is an injury along the offensive line. Runyan can facilitate the adjustments needed to keep the interior offensive line intact while they deal with the changes.
This saying has been around for ages: The best ability is availability; from that aspect, Runyan is a gem. He has taken over 1000 snaps in the past three seasons.
When you consider the physicality of the battles in the trenches, mixed with the elements in Green Bay, that is impressive. Considering how injuries plagued the Giants in 2023, it is also more attractive. Runyan will be considered an iron man compared to the output of some of his predecessors.
The Ugly: Run Blocking
Runyan has quick feet and can suddenly get on defenders, but he does not lock on well when he gets to the defender; it almost looks like he bounces off. That also can be a product of not generating movement when he collides with a defender. He does not displace defenders on his base blocks; he has to rely more on angles and allowing the back to make cuts off of him.
He also struggles to regularly connect with moving targets in space as a blocker despite his foot quickness. He is still young enough to correct the mistakes that make him inconsistent as a run blocker, but it does mean he comes with question marks in that aspect of his games.
Coach’s Counsel
Runyan is a quality signing, but not one that would make me believe the interior problem is solved. There is potential, and his floor is higher than most on the market in his price range.
At worst, he’s a good sixth man off the bench when needed to start for extended periods, or you just want to platoon with other guards. He would also be reliable when bringing in an extra blocker on heavy packages.
At best, he is an immediate plug-and-play right guard who can help the second-year center and third-year tackle by adding legit value as a smart pass protector. He can close up holes found in the A and B gaps over the past couple of seasons. The plan should be to remediate his run blocking and create continuity on the right side.
