The New York Giants are the pick to many NFL pundits to be maybe the surprise team of the NFL heading into next season with new head coach John Harbaugh and with QB Jaxson Dart heading into year 2 on the job after a very strong rookie season. The Giants were also a team that felt much better than the 4-13 record that they ended up accruing, given how strong they looked in games vs playoff contending teams were they often closely lost. The team has hired new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to work with Dart, and the offense could be strong led by the dual threat Dart along with standout players such as Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo. The personnel that the Giants will have to work with on the offensive side of the ball will also loom quite large in determining how explosive they will be on offense next season. Here I will go into detail assessing the offensive front of the Giants as the 2026 season approaches.
2020 1st rounder Andrew Thomas is set to start at left tackle for the Giants and is among the better if not the best starting left tackles in the sport. Thomas was graded as the fourth best overall tackle in the NFL this past season which was the second time he has graded that highly in his career. Thomas outside of those two seasons consistently grades in the well above average range among players at his position according to Pro Football Focus. Thomas is a very good to a great tackle and perhaps we can see him be consistently great under new head coach John Harbaugh.
Veteran Jon Runyan is set to start at the left guard spot and is a strong player who can struggle with consistency, however. Runyan can be a borderline elite to an elite pass protector and above average as a run blocker. Runyan has however graded in the below average range among players at his position the majority of the time in the NFL and is likely better suited as a reserve given his inconsistencies but still very high ceiling.
2023 2nd rounder John Michael Schmitz Jr is set to start at center and has underwhelmed in the NFL thus far although showing some potential. Schmitz Jr has consistently graded in the below average range in every season he has played thus far but has shown some potential ranking slightly above average as a pass protector once and slightly above average as a run blocker another season. If he does not improve under new head coach John Harbaugh, he will likely transition to a reserve role soon.
2026 1st rounder top 10 overall pick Francis Mauigoa is set to start at left guard and was the top offensive line prospect entering the draft to many. Mauigoa has a ton of potential but will likely see his rookie growing pains and struggle in year one. However, if he can capture some of his prime potential elite form in the tail end of the season heading into a potential playoff run, then the Giants could have a very good to a great player set to start at right guard for the team.
At right tackle veteran Jermaine Eluemuor is set to start for the team and is a player who has a very high ceiling, but who is very inconsistent. However, he has become more consistent over the years grading above average to borderline elite in terms of pass blocking efficiency for four straight seasons now. He has also shown a high ceiling in terms of run blocking ability but has not been able to consistently maintain it. If he is on his A game, then he is potentially a very good to a great starting tackle but can be below average if not playing well. Perhaps he can come into his own under new head coach John Harbaugh and play to his potential.
From a depth standpoint on the offensive front the Giants have some notable names that could potentially step into the starting lineup given some of the concern that New York has in their starting offensive front as of now. Those same players could also provide New York with some high-end backup play as well in the case of injurie(s).
Those noteworthy reserve players would be the following. Tackle/Guard Evan Neal was drafted very highly in the first round of the 2022 draft. Neal struggled in years 1 and 2 in the NFL but came into his own and played at a borderline elite level during the 2024 season albeit in limited snaps. Neal missed all of the 2025 season due to injury but one cannot deny his potential. I view Neal as a high-end backup who was a first round pick who started to play like one the last time he was on the field. 2022 3rd rounder Joshua Ezeudu was drafted quite high and although he has looked subpar in the NFL thus far he has not had enough time to come into his own while also improving as of late. While interior offensive lineman Lucas Patrick has a borderline elite ceiling but is very inconsistent.
The Giants have question marks on their offensive line heading into the 2026 season but could field a good one. Left tackle Andrew Thomas is a stud at the most important position while the rest of their starting line and reserve unit is comprised of talented but unproven/inconsistent players. However, they have such a surplus of those types of players that there is a strong chance that enough of them play well for the Giants to have a strong offensive line next year. A breakdown of the Giants’ offensive line heading into the 2026 season can be found below.
Projected 2026 Giants’ Starting Offensive Line
LT – Andrew Thomas – B+ to A-
LG – Jon Runyan – C+ to B-, high ceiling, inconsistent
C – John Michael Schmitz Jr – C to C+ so far, 2023 2nd rounder
RG – Francis Mauigoa – 2026 1st rounder
RT – Jermaine Eluemunor – B to B-, borderline elite ceiling, inconsistent
Notable 2026 Giants’ Reserve Offensive Lineman
T/G – Joshua Ezeudu – C to C- so far, 2022 3rd rounder, still not enough snaps to prove himself, has shown improvement
T/G – Evan Neal – C+ to B-, 2022 1st rounder, poor to start career, borderline elite last time when on the field
C/G – Lucas Patrick – C+ to B-
