The Giants' Biggest Roster Hole That Still Hasn’t Been Addressed

Although the New York Giants have brought in some major upgrades to all three phases of their football team, there is one spot that remains a glaring concern–and it’s a big one.

That spot is offensive guard, where the Giants have Jon Runyan Jr (who is entering the final year of his contract this season), Jake Kubas (who spent last season on the practice squad), Evan Neal (only 44 live snaps at the position), and Aaron Stinnie (primarily a backup in the last two seasons) under contract.

The Giants were reportedly bidding for now-former Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, but the player rejected the offer and took a deal with the New England Patriots instead.

There have been reports of the team trying to land free-agent guard Wyatt Teller of the Cleveland Browns, who last season was coached by current Giants offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren, and Chris Paul, who has been with the Washington Commanders since 2022.

It appears more and more that the Giants will add a lower-cost veteran from the second wave of free agency and look to address the position for the long-term via the draft, where there are some very strong prospects, including:

Olaivavega Ioane (Penn State, 6-foot-4, 320 lbs.)
Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon, 6-foot-4, 314 lbs.)
Enrique Cruz, Jr. (Kansas, 6-foot-5, 313 lbs.)
Chase Bisontis (Texas A&M, 6-foot-5, 315 lbs.)
Keylan Rutledge (Georgia Tech, 6-foot-4, 316 lbs.)
Gennings Dunker (Iowa, 6-foot-5, 319 lbs.)
D.J. Campbell (Texas, 6-foot-3, 313 lbs.)
Anez Cooper (Miami, Fla., 6-foot-6, 334 lbs.)

Ioane and Cruz were among the top performers at this year’s NFL combine, with Cruz clocking in at a 4.94 in the 40-yard dash and Ioane having drawn comparisons to veteran guard (and one-time Giant) Kevin Zeitler in terms of his measurables.

The Giants are thought to be looking at running a primarily power blocking scheme, which would fit most of the top prospects at guard.

While it’s unlikely that the Giants would aim to draft a guard in the first round, spending a second-round pick could be in the cards instead, given the depth at the position in the draft.

Could Evan Neal Be the Key?

The re-signing of Neal to a one-year, veteran minimum deal was by far the biggest surprise of the Giants' free-agency haul.

Neal seemed all but certain to be on his way out the door, given how he failed to catch on at right tackle and how last year the experiment at guard left the previous coaching staff frustrated to the point that Neal never saw the field.

But there is a new coaching staff in town, and head coach John Harbaugh apparently sees a lot of untapped potential in the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft that he’s counting on new offensive line coach Mike Bloogren to pull out of Neal.

Neal, who again only played 44 snaps at right guard last preseason, would appear to fit the power rushing scheme that the Giants have been gravitating toward.

When he gets in front of a man, he blocks out the sun and moves people out of the way. But when operating outside of the phone booth and in pass protection, that’s where Neal has had issues.

For example, when asked to pull, Neal showed himself to be heavy-legged. And just as was the case when he was at tackle, he had trouble handling speed rushers who came at him on an angle.

Still, if Bloomgren can help Neal smooth out those rough edges, perhaps the Giants won’t have to worry about the immediate long-term health at guard.

But with Runyan nearing the end of his contract and Neal not a sure thing, the Giants would be foolish if they were to eschew selecting a premium player or two from a rich class of guard prospects waiting to hear their names called by an NFL team next month.

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