Giants Likely to Move on in Free Agency from 2022 Third-round Pick

Joshua Ezeudu was a non-factor in the Giants' offensive line room in 2025.

Dec 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants guard Joshua Ezeudu (75) during the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Joshua Ezeudu, OT

• Height: 6-foot-4
• Weight: 310 lbs.
• Age: 26
• NFL Exp: 4 Years
• College: North Carolina

The New York Giants have had their fair share of swings and misses when it comes to finding impactful offensive line talent, and offensive tackle Joshua Ezeudu is one player on their list of impending free agents who belongs in the latter distinction.

The Giants drafted Ezeudu in the third round (No. 67 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was one of three prospects that the organization selected that year to try to bolster their offensive front, which had been among the biggest laughing stocks in the league for some time. 

With how unstable the Giants' starting five was during his rookie year, Ezeudu was thrown into the fire in the 2022 season by playing in 10 games and starting in two of them at left guard, which wasn’t his traditional position. He put up decent results but still allowed three sacks and 15 total pressures, for a 93.7% pass-block efficiency score. 

Ezeudu returned to a backup role on the depth chart ahead of the 2023 season, but injuries again forced him back into playing meaningful snaps when it might have been too early in his development.

He played 266 total snaps at left tackle after Andrew Thomas went down with a hamstring injury in the season opener against Dallas, and posted an uglier 39.3 pass blocking grade in six games while allowing five sacks and committing six penalties in that short time. 

The Tar Heels product also suffered his own injury in Week 6 of that season, a toe ailment that subsequently placed him on the injured reserve list, where he never made it back onto the field and put a tighter stranglehold on the Giants’ offensive line depth. 

With Thomas dealing with a Lisfranc injury in 2024, Ezeudu would still get one more chance to prove himself as a capable pass blocker who could be called upon at any moment to protect the quarterback’s blindside.

He did find better results with just two sacks and 15 pressures allowed in 182 snaps at both left tackle and left guard, but his ability to hold onto blocks for an extended time was often challenged by opposing edge rushers. 

Like some of their other offensive lineman draftees, the Giants have tried to exercise patience with Ezeudu with the hopes that he would eventually come around and find a permanent role in their rotation under Carmen Bricillo. That hasn’t been the case, though, leaving open the possibility that he has to further his career in another city.

2025 Recap

New York Giants guard Joshua Ezeudu | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Entering his fourth season with the Giants, Ezeudu struggled to establish a place for himself in the offensive line order during training camp and was ultimately left out of the equation when the 53-man roster was set. He was sent to the practice squad, where he spent most of the 2025 campaign. 

The only action Ezeudu saw came in the first two games of the preseason against the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, where he played in 82 combined snaps, first at left tackle and then at left guard in those two contests, and allowed just one pressure in that span which was quite impressive for a young player who hadn’t fully found his footing in the NFL. 

Still, the Giants didn’t deem his performance in those two games worthy of beating out a handful of veterans who were sparring for spaces on the position group’s depth chart.

They decided to let Ezeudu’s development continue on the practice field until he suffered a calf injury and was placed on the injured reserve list for the remainder of the season.

Why the Giants Should Keep Him

New York Giants offensive tackle Joshua Ezeudu | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

The one benefit to retaining Ezeudu for at least another year would be to support the overall depth of the offensive line, especially at the tackle position, which could see a few departures this offseason. 

The Giants’ experiment with veteran James Hudson III as a swing tackle failed miserably, as evidenced by his horrific performance in the team’s Week 2 game against the Dallas Cowboys, when he started in place of Andrew Thomas who still hadn’t returned from Lisfranc rehab, and committed four penalties on the Giants’ opening drive before being pulled from the affair by head coach Brian Daboll. 

Jermaine Eluemunor is also going to enter the free agent market in March, and it’s uncertain whether he will return to East Rutherford next year. All signs would point to both sides wanting to make a new deal happen, but he is likely to be one of their most expensive players to keep on the heels of a solid season for the right tackle. 

By resigning Ezeudu, the Giants could have an insurance policy at the tackle position, where Ezeudu has some light experience playing on the other side during both college and the professional level. That said, his presence doesn’t move the needle much when it comes to maintaining the quality of protection that was afforded to Jaxson Dart in his debut as the starting arm. 

Why the Giants Shouldn't Keep Him

New York Giants guard Joshua Ezeudu | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Ezeudu has simply dealt with too many challenges in his first few years with the Giants. Whether that be poor play or injuries derailing his growth, one could argue that four years is enough time to get a gauge on whether a player is capable of doing the job they’re asked to do at a high level on Sundays. 

At times, Ezeudu’s blocking numbers don’t look awful, but he has never produced a full season’s worth of work to entice the Giants that he is worthy of being one snap away from a starting offensive tackle. Hits and misses happen in the NFL draft, and the time might be here to admit that Ezeudu was a terrible miss by the front office, who could be looking at the position again in April. 

Keep or Move On??

New York Giants guard Joshua Ezeudu (75) | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

There is very little to vouch for when it comes to Ezeudu’s tenure in New York, and that creates the belief that the Giants should move on from their former third-round pick and see what kind of prospect they can find in this year’s draft to replace him. 

With the Giants having the No. 5 pick on the board, they will likely target an extra playmaker for Jaxson Dart to throw to next season.

However, if they don't go that route, some good offensive tackle prospects could also be waiting at that spot, who have been featured in some mock drafts that we’ve covered as solid projections for the Giants.

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