Should NY Giants Seek a Reunion with OL Will Hernandez?

When it comes to the New York Giants, it just seems that they can never have too many offensive linemen on the roster, given how injuries of late have hit the unit.

And although general manager Joe Schoen has sought to upgrade the talent across the board on that unit, there are still questions regarding the interior, where the incumbents are Jon Runyan Jr and Greg Van Roten.

Both men played well enough last season, Van Roten never missing a snap, while Runyan had his season cut short due to injury.

But behind those two, there are questions about the depth. The team is counting on Evan Neal to successfully transition from tackle to guard. Jake Kubas is entering his second season, and despite an intriguing showing as a rookie, he’s not necessarily a lock for a spot.

And the others who can potentially contribute at guard include Austin Schlottmann, Aaron Stinnie, Joshua Ezeudu, and rookie Marcus Mbow.

Time will tell if the Giants have enough quality depth at guard, but if there are concerns once camp unfolds, checking in with a familiar face might not be a bad idea.

Will Hernandez, a Giants second-round pick in 2018 who initially looked like he might become a solid contributor on the offensive line, is still an unsigned free agent, possibly because he’s recovering from a season-ending torn ACL last year that limited him to just five games.

But since moving on to the Arizona Cardinals after the Giants chose not to bring him back following the 2021 season, the 29-year-old Hernandez has been pretty solid.

According to Pro Football Focus, since leaving the Giants, Hernandez has allowed just 53 pressures in the last three seasons (35 games), and has never posted a pass-block efficiency rating of less than 97.3.

Last season, none of the Giants guards finished with a pass-blocking efficiency rating higher than 97.1.

If we break down the data further, the Giants' guards combined for nine sacks, 11 hits, and 58 pressures, totaling 78 pressures--again, that's in one season (2024).

Those single-season numbers are higher than what Hernandez posted in three seasons with the Cardinals (seven sacks, seven hits, and 39 hurries).

It’s unknown if the Giants have checked in on Hernandez to see how he’s doing following a season-ending knee injury or even if there is any interest in adding to what appears to be a crowded guard spot.

Likewise, it’s unknown if Hernandez would even be interested in returning to the team where his NFL career started, let alone as a reserve lineman, which would be his likely role for now.

However, if he remains unsigned and the Giants struggle along the interior, Hernandez, if a deal can be worked out, wouldn’t be a bad option to explore, given how he has performed since leaving the team.

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