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Giants Might Have Hidden Answer for Offensive Line Problem
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- Giants Might Have Hidden Answer for Offensive Line Problem
The New York Giants ' offensive line is, for the most part, solid heading into the 2026 NFL campaign.
The Giants have one of the league's best tackle duos in Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor , they drafted mauler Francis Mauigoa to play right guard, and while John Michael Schmitz isn't the best center in the world, he isn't terrible.
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The only potentially weak area for New York could be at left guard, where Jon Runyan Jr. is projected to be the starter.
The Giants signed Runyan to a three-year, $30 million contract in March 2024, and he has not lived up to the deal. New York could save $9.25 million by cutting him this summer, and there may be a bit of a competition for his starting job in training camp.
Right now, Daniel Faalele is viewed as the top contender to steal the spot, and former first-round bust Evan Neal is considered a possibility, as well.
But what about Marcus Mbow ?
New York Giants offensive lineman Marcus Mbow. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
The Giants took Mbow in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and watched as he had a very solid year as a swing tackle during his rookie campaign. He filled in admirably for an injured Thomas early in the season, and he performed generally well whenever he was on the field.
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Is he a star? No, but he is serviceable, and it's important to note that Mbow did play on the interior for long stretches at Purdue.
Now, it should be noted that Mbow slotted in at right guard with the Boilermakers, but I see no reason why he couldn't play on the left side for Big Blue.
Remember: the Giants selected Illinois tackle J.C. Davis in the sixth round of the draft this past April, so if Davis has a strong camp, he could end up factoring into the swing tackle equation. That would allow New York to move Mbow inside.
Up until this point, there hasn't been any legitimate discussion about Mbow potentially usurping Runyan in the starting lineup, but I don't think it's completely out of the realm of possibility.
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The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Mbow is a terrific athlete, which bodes well for him playing the left side of the line (as we saw last year when he opened some eyes with his relief work at left tackle). He absolutely should be in consideration.
The most likely scenario is that the Giants will keep Mbow in his current role unless they feel Davis is 100 percent ready to assume a significant role in Year 1. But New York should certainly experiment with Mbow at left guard this summer.
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