New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: Offensive Line

The New York Giants had arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL in 2023 with a pass-blocking grade of 43.4 and a run-blocking grade of 41.1, the third-worst and worst grades according to PFF. Despite constantly rotating who was playing at both quarterback and offensive line, the one thing that remained consistent was how awful the line play was last year – allowing 178 total pressures on the year.

The Giants made a drastic move by firing offensive line coach Bobby Johnson and replacing him with Carmen Bricillo from the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders offensive line had the lowest pressure-rate allowed in the NFL in 2023.

After spending $44 million on Jon Runyan Jr and Jermaine Eluemunor, the expectations for the offensive line have been raised significantly. 

T Andrew Thomas: The New York Giants best offensive lineman returns for the 2024 season after dealing with injuries throughout 2023. When healthy, Thomas was less dominant than in 2022 but is expected to have a bounce-back year. It’s understated how difficult it is to play tackle with struggles at both quarterback and other offensive line spots.

T Evan Neal: Neal has been struggling mightily through his first two years in the NFL, which led to many wondering if he would be bumped inside to guard for 2024. The Giants have made moves to keep him at tackle and after missing half of the 2023 season, the hope is that he’ll put it together in year three.

G Jon Runyan Jr: Runyan Jr had a strong start to his career with the Green Bay Packers, spending the past three seasons starting at guard. This past offseason, the Giants gave him a three-year contract worth $30 million with $17 million guaranteed. 

OL Jermaine Eluemunor: Versatility has been the name of the game for Eluemunor throughout his career, playing significant snaps at left tackle, right tackle, and right guard. He’s had stretches of great play at tackle but will be playing guard for the Giants primarily. His familiarity with Bricillo should help him make the transition to the Giants.

C John Michael Schmitz: It was a rough rookie year for Schmitz, as it usually is for a rookie starting at center. Schmitz should take the next step in 2024, now having time to develop the mental part of his game and having some solid play around him.

C Jimmy Morrissey: Expectations aren’t very high for Morrissey but his experience will be a welcome addition on the interior of the line. Special teams is an area where I think Morrissey can contribute with the new kickoff rules.

G Jake Kubas: After a successful college career with the North Dakota State Bison, Kubas signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2024. Kubas will look to make the Giants roster with experience at both guard spots.

G Jalen Mayfield: It’s been a rough transition to the NFL for Mayfield after a dominant college career with Michigan. Mayfield spent his first two years with the Falcons before joining the Giants in 2023, where he played two games offensively and struggled mightily against the Dolphins.

OL Joshua Ezeudu: Ezeudu is one of the most versatile linemen on the roster and that alone should be good enough for him to earn a spot. The ability to play four spots on the line in a pinch would be welcome on almost any team.

OL Marcus McKethan: After being a fifth-round pick in 2022, McKethan is still looking to solidify himself at the NFL level. There have been flashes of strong play but nothing consistent has come together for McKethan yet.

OL Austin Schlottmann: Experience at center was a focal point for the Giants this past offseason and Schlottmann was another name thrown into the mix. Schlottmann might be the best pass-protector on the interior of the line on the Giants roster.

OL Aaron Stinnie: Stinnie can play both guard spots as a depth piece and showed flashes of potential during the 2023 season as a starter for the Buccaneers. There were far too many times where he just seemed outclassed by defensive linemen that gives me cause for concern as a contributor.

T Matt Nelson: It’s been three years since Nelson has played anything resembling consistent playing time. Granted, he’s been on a team with one of the best offensive lines in the NFL in the Detroit Lions – but you won’t be better than them by bringing in their backups.

T Yodny Cajuste: Injuries have hampered Cajuste’s career dating back to his college days at West Virginia. When he’s been available, he hasn’t played poorly but players who consistently get hurt, tend to stay hurt.

T Marcellus Johnson: Johnson was an athletic lineman through his college career that needed technical refinement to take his game to the next level. Unfortunately he spent the majority of 2023 as a backup and dealing with an ankle injury so never took that next step.

T Joshua Miles: Miles isn’t someone that I would expect to make the Giants roster in 2024. It’s been 2021 since he’s touched the field in an NFL regular season game. 

What happens if Evan Neal struggles once again?

The Giants invested early picks in Neal and Kayvon Thibodeaux in the 2022 NFL Draft and the return on Neal has been less than stellar to say the least. There have been plays that go viral to showcase where Neal may or may not have messed up but was the one to receive the blame.

The film is ugly more often than not and the numbers suggest he’s out of his weight class as an NFL right tackle. Despite playing in just seven games in 2023, Neal was credited with the fourth-most pressures on the entire roster with 29 pressures allowed on just 309 pass-blocking snaps.

Even Tyre Phillips, who is currently a free agent, allowed less pressures than that on more pass-blocking snaps. The level that Neal played at in 2023 was unacceptable and the concern about whether or not he will move to guard was warranted.

If Neal struggles, I think the likely response would be for the Giants to either bench him or move him to guard. In either scenario there’s a possibility where Eluemunor takes his spot as the starting right tackle and either Neal or Ezeudu take over at guard.

Austin Schlottmann vs Jimmy Morrissey for backup center

It’s not very exciting but the starting spots for the Giants offensive line is somewhat written in pen right now. While the expectation in 2023 was for Schmitz to struggle as a rookie playing center, the position needs better production.

With center being one of the most mentally-taxing positions, the veteran presence that both Morrissey and Schlottmann bring to the table should do two things for the room: improve the talent for backup center and help speed up Schmitz’ development. 

I’m fairly split on who should win this battle, as Schlottmann would likely provide more for the development of Schmitz but Morrissey is the better on-field player that should be helpful on special teams. It also doesn’t mean that the loser of this battle will be out of a job as they’ve both seen time at guard in their careers.

I think the starting offensive line this season is chalk for the Giants. Three returning starters in Thomas, Neal, and Schmitz with two guards that the Giants paid a combined $44 million over the course of their contracts.

It’s easy to assume that the players with heavy capital invested in them will start. The depth is where this gets a bit messy because the Giants have a lot of decisions to make based on not just talent as blockers but also positional versatility, special teams contributions, and chemistry with the other linemen.

I think a player like Ezeudu will remain with the team due to his proven ability to come in at multiple positions in a pinch. Morrissey and Schlottmann can both play any spot along the interior.

Aaron Stinnie and Matt Nelson are less positionally versatile but should both be able to provide meaningful snaps over alternatives if needed. Nelson is a player I’m not very high on but he was brought in for good reason and experience with the Lions should help him push Neal.

The practice squad additions of Kubas and Johnson will be welcome, considering they both showed promise throughout their college careers although I don’t think they’re ready to be big-time contributors at the next level yet.

Miles, Cajuste, Mayfield and McKethan would be cut based on just being the odd men out. Whether that’s because of not being versatile enough, not being good enough, or having options that can be kept with more promise.