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New York Giants center John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61) takes a water break alongside offensive tackle Andrew Thomas (78) during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

New Analysis Uncovers Alarming Stat About Giants Offensive Line

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Stephen Lebitsch | Last updated Apr 23, 2025 7:59 PM ET

It’s one of the most common phrases in the game of football that says a team’s offense is only as good as the strength of their offensive line, and for the New York Giants, that has been a repetitive lesson that they haven't seemed to exemplify fully.

Even ahead of this year’s draft that opens on Thursday night in Green Bay, the most significant area of attention is hovering around the quarterback position and whether the Giants will add a third name to the room this offseason.

The signal-caller mystery is one that the Giants have tried to solve for several years since Eli Manning rode off into the sunset after 16 reliable seasons under center. They took a significant gamble on Daniel Jones at the sixth pick in 2019, and in many ways, that partnership was a disaster whose breakup was long overdue.

The Giants ended up starting four different quarterbacks last season and finished with one of the bottom three offenses in the league, which struggled to make their stat sheet look competitive. The reins have now been handed over to Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, who will likely duke it out for the starting job this summer, but what about the result might be different this time around?

While either veteran is an experienced pro who has learned how to combat challenges in the pocket at the highest level, there are likely to be some new ones behind the Giants' current offensive front that hasn’t been touched that much through this portion of the offseason.

That is largely why Pro Football Network listed four holes on the Giants' starting offensive line, excluding the left tackle spot, as the biggest weakness on the roster that needs to be addressed via the draft.

What was more shocking was that the outlet’s analysis shone a light on how the starting unit had four positions finishing in the bottom third of their competition in terms of pressure rate allowed, with scores ranging from 4.5 to 6.2%.

“The Giants did not bring in a definitive new starter in free agency, with James Hudson and Stone Forsythe only serving as competition for Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle,” the analysis said. “Wilson averaged the 10th-longest time to throw (2.77 seconds) in 2024, which was actually his fastest average since 2021.”

“Adding multiple potential starters (especially on the interior) feels like a high priority regardless of whether it’s Wilson or a rookie playing quarterback next season.”

The most surprising weak link of the group was the right tackle position, especially after the Giants brought Eluemunor in to provide veteran experience and a resume of improvement behind offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo in Las Vegas.

The late-season run on injuries forced Eluemunor to shift over to the left side spot for five of his last six games after Andrew Thomas went out with a foot ailment, and his initial replacement, Joshua Ezeudu, wasn’t cutting it. Once the Giants shifted over their swing tackle, the same effect took its toll on that side, as the team didn’t have quality depth behind him.

One of those guys was Evan Neal, whose time in East Rutherford feels like it's on thin ice. The Giants are going to try to salvage their first-round investment in the Alabama product by shifting him over to guard, where he can help with the run effort, and they have brought in two veterans in Hudson and Forysthe, who are capable of at least stepping into swing roles and being decent.

The broader concern needs to be the interior positions, especially since John Michael Schmitz is the only viable center on the roster, and the guard position hasn’t been touched short of resigning Greg Van Roten, who was the most available player on the offensive side of the ball.

Even with those players who were relative stalwarts in their holes, the Giants held the 27th worst pressure rate allowed as a team, and it simply wasn’t good enough for the run game which wants to get back to a ground and pound perspective with Tyrone Tracy Jr. breaking out early.

Rotations might be necessary, and the Giants should consider finding starting-caliber blocking talent in the draft once they hit the latter half of day 2. The wide expectation is for them to go defensive best player available and quarterback at No. 3 and 34, but after that, the board should still be rich with talent, and they can capitalize on that with extra capital starting in round 3.

As much as they need to prove they can do it with the gunslinger position, Joe Schoen and the Giants front office needs to turn the tide of their offensive line gambles and pick the right guys as well. It’s the one area they haven’t shied from yet hasn’t produced more than one elite piece in Andrew Thomas, who is incredible when healthy.

That is because the equation to a successful offense, even behind a better signal caller in Wilson, in New York won’t just be his prowess with the deep ball that was missing in 2024. It’s the level of security he receives that allows that offense to unfurl and without properly addressing it with draft assets, the future won’t be as bright as it needs to be for Brian Daboll’s crew.

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