Most Underrated New York Giants' Draft Pick

The Giants' front office made a slew of big moves to add young talent, but which one of their new draft picks has value that isn't gaining enough attention?

Purdue Boilermakers offensive lineman Marcus Mbow (63) high-fives a fan Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, during the NCAA football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s been several years since the New York Giants organization can confidently express that they surpassed all expectations for their incoming 2025 class at the NFL Draft this weekend. 

The pressure couldn’t have been any heavier coming in on general manager Joe Schoen to assemble a magnificent core of rookie talent that could one day become the next main pieces within the Giants franchise. 

At the end of three days, Schoen has earned himself much more than just a pat on the back for the incredible players he dug up from the board. These players will both fill positional needs and elevate their respective parts of the roster. 

Each of the seven selected novices will hopefully positively impact the team’s success in the coming season, but there is no doubt one prospect whose value isn’t gaining enough attention. That guy is fifth-round interior offensive lineman Marcus Mbow, whom the Giants selected at No. 154 out of Purdue.

Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Purdue University offensive lineman Marcus Mbow (OL26) answers questions at a press conference during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. / Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

The fact that Mbow, who was the sixth-highest ranked guard prospect in this year’s class, trickled down into the middle of Day 3 of the draft is unbelievable and a testament to the job Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll did at tracking notable players on their big board throughout the entire seven rounds.

Mbow, who reportedly had some teams concerned about his size and recent medicals, drew the Giants in as a player who can offer versatility, pro-ready technique, and aggressiveness off the snap. These attributes could help him gain an early advantage in matchups with bigger interior defenders. 

Along with his toughness, Mbow flashes solid hands and lateral quickness to stay with the most elite pass rushers and promptly figure out their rushing lanes. That skill set will come in handy when playing in the NFC East, where all the Giants' rivals seem to have numerous talented pressure cookers on their defensive line. They will test the unit once again during the 2025 season. 

Even beyond the physical traits, what makes Mbow such an underrated selection by New York is how much versatility he can bring to the locker room. The Giants have had issues maintaining depth at just about all five positions on the offensive line, especially last season when left tackle Andrew Thomas went down in Week 7, and the rest of the starting front just collapsed from there. 

That depth at guard had been up in the air leading into the draft, with only a few viable options at the guard position, where Mbow is slated to join the room. The Giants re-signed veteran Greg Van Roten, one of the most reliable blockers on the team last season, to a one-year deal and retained Austin Schlottmann, who mixes in at center as well. 

Besides those two grizzled veterans, the Giants had just Joshua Ezeudu and Evan Neal, two former tackles who will be put through a transition to guard to see if they can salvage their tenures in East Rutherford, and Jake Kubas, who showed some promise late last season as an undrafted free agent from the 2024 draft cycle. 

With Mbow joining the team, the Giants have an extra man who held down that role for his first two seasons with the Boilermakers. Even with his smaller size and stature, Mbow gave up zero sacks and allowed just 11 total pressures (three hits) in 573 guard snaps in that span. 

After that, he shifted to mainly playing at the right tackle spot, but his production barely varied. Mbow allowed just four sacks in the next two seasons combined, including 36 total pressures, to finish with a 97.3 career pass-blocking efficiency rating at the end of his collegiate career. 

Perhaps the transition took a bit from his overall game, but he fared pretty well in that space and can offer the Giants a much-needed resource if they need help in the middle of the season, pending injuries. Mbow believes he can contribute to all five positions up front, but with other flexible players on the roster,r he is likely to stick with one job as he acclimates to the pros. 

On the other side of the run game, the Giants will help themselves tremendously by having Mbow around. He ascended to a career-high 78.7 run blocking grade on PFF in 2024 and excels as a zone blocker, which is what the Giants like to run with running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who held 99 zone carries as opposed to 81 in between the gaps. 

The offensive guard room was far from impressive last season, and it was one of the main reasons the Giants’ offense struggled to produce at a competent level and move the football downfield. 

Mbow has some growing to do before he steps into a full-time role, but he brings to the trenches a skillset of grit and smart instincts, which should have him competing for some playing time soon, if not immediately. 

If he does come in and strengthen the protection, the Giants will have landed his underrated value for a complete steal of a draft pick that doesn’t run the same risk as a higher-round gamble.

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