As other first-year coaches attempt to determine their quarterback situation, at least John Harbaugh joined the New York Giants knowing that he’d have Jaxson Dart at his disposal.
The problem, as Giants fans learned firsthand last year, is that Dart needs as much protection as possible, even more so given his concussion history. It sounds simple, but the Giants cannot, and likely will not, go far without a competent offensive line to help keep Dart on his feet and out of the blue tent.
If the Giants opt to use the No. 5 pick on a defensive player, NFL Media’s Eric Edholm has another idea for how Big Blue can upgrade the offensive line at No. 37.
Edholm named Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and Oregon offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon as his “ideal” top two draft picks. Pregnon, who began his career at Wyoming before transferring to USC and Oregon, earned All-American honors with the Ducks last year.
“Pregnon fits the Giants’ need for more OL help and fits the physical tone John Harbaugh wants to set, as evidenced by the team’s free-agency moves to this point,” Edholm wrote. “Two picks, two possible immediate starters — not too shabby.”
Emmanuel Pregnon would be an intriguing addition to the Giants’ offensive line
At 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds, Pregnon would bring immediate size and strength to a Giants team needing a mauling interior offensive lineman. Jake Kubas spent all of last year on the practice squad, and Jon Runyan finished among the league’s worst guards.
Runyan’s 52.9 PFF grade ranked 67th among 81 qualified offensive linemen, and he is entering the final season of his contract. There is no indication that the G-Men plan to extend the 28-year-old Runyan in the coming months.
After starting his college career at right guard, Pregnon moved to left guard during his time at USC. Oregon played him at right guard down the stretch last season, and Pregnon, who is right-handed, told reporters that he felt “stronger” following the switch.
Although center John Michael Schmitz is entering the final year of his contract, there have been no credible reports about teams potentially moving Pregnon to center. With seven draft picks, including five on Day 3, we’ll see whether the Giants target a center to possibly replace Schmitz in 2027.
The one knock on Pregnon is his age. Oddly, none of Pregnon’s three schools listed his date of birth, though some media outlets have speculated that he is 24. Pregnon enrolled at Wyoming in 2020 and redshirted in 2021.
Adding a 24-year-old guard might cause some concerns, but the Giants need to upgrade the trenches by any means necessary. Pregnon certainly checks the boxes, so long as the Giants confirm his age before going any further.