Whenever the New York Giants’ offensive line came up in offseason conversations, we always felt compelled to mention that the unit returned four of its five starters.
That number has since dropped to three, and any thoughts of Bryan Hudson only temporarily replacing starting center John Michael Schmitz effectively ended this past weekend. Hudson, who went undrafted out of Louisville in 2024, started for the second straight week and played all 89 snaps during Sunday’s tie with the Commanders.
Giants coach John Harbaugh confirmed Monday afternoon that Hudson will remain the starter. Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor is day-to-day with a calf injury, and his status for next Sunday’s game against the Saints will be determined later this week.
What do New York Giants fans need to know about center Bryan Hudson?
Hudson has played all 156 offensive snaps the last two weeks, and do you want to know how many he’d played ahead of the Oct. 4 victory over Arizona? You can literally count them on one hand; all three of his career offensive snaps came in a blowout victory over the Raiders last December.
Everyone loves an underdog story, and the 6-foot-5, 305-pound Hudson qualifies by modern standards. Like many of the NFL’s younger players, Hudson began his college career at one school (Virginia Tech) before using the transfer portal to land at another Power 4 program. He ended his Louisville career in style, earning first-team All-ACC honors and winning the Jacobs Blocking Trophy.
Although NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein projected Hudson would go undrafted in 2024, he nonetheless praised the center’s leadership and communication skills.
“While he has adequate strength, he needs to add more mass to help bolster his anchor against NFL power,” Zierlein wrote. “He knows where to go but might not have the athleticism to get to those spots on time.”
Hudson has certainly exceeded expectations, and he deserves immense credit for sticking around despite the coaching staff overhaul. When Pro Football Focus isn’t busy pushing false Francis Mauigoa narratives, the controversial outlet rates Hudson highly; he led all Giants offensive linemen with a 70.9 grade on Sunday, and the score ranked third among offensive players.
As for Schmitz, he’s a pending free agent without a realistic path to playing time. You could almost feel bad for him, if not for the fact that he’s an experienced starter at a premium position. Trust us: He’ll make his money next spring, even if it’s not with the Giants.
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