As the New York Giants transition from OTAs into mandatory minicamp, the single most important objective of the offseason has taken shape in North Jersey: keeping second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart upright and out of the blue medical tent.
Last season, Dart held onto the ball for an average of 3.07 seconds, leaving him partially responsible for an alarming 39.1% of the pressure he faced. With new head coach John Harbaugh installing a system that's more physical and ground heavy, the Giants have had to take a closer look at the protection to ensure maximum put-defenders-through-the-earth...ness.
Fortunately, the first-team unit -- (left-to-right) Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan Jr., John Michael Schmitz, Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa, and Jermaine Eluemunor -- has looked the part early on.
The Giants' offensive line is starting to come into focus
Most of the attention has been on Mauigoa, the road paver selected No. 10 overall in the 2026 Draft. After playing right tackle at Miami, he has been kicked inside to right guard.
It's a pretty big gamble by Harbs, banking on the 21-year-old's raw strength and athletic ability to make a successful transition inside. It's a lot easier said than done.
While Sisi adjusts to life as a guard, the blindside has suddenly, albeit quietly, become worthy of some eyeballs. Thomas was forced into a pitch count during reps, managing a lingering shoulder issue on top of ongoing maintenance from his 2024 Lisfranc foot surgery.
The caution opened the door for second-year swing tackle Marcus Mbow, who took his spot on the first team when he sat. Seeing Mbow get those first-team snaps is a good sign for new offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren. It shows that the 23-year-old can hold his own and give the team a little peace of mind if Thomas isn't fully ready by Week 1.
Rounding out the rest of the main protection unit, Schmitz owns the center spot, while Eluemunor -- who's back on a three-year, $39 million deal -- locks down right tackle.
While the starting five looks pretty set for now, the dogfight happening behind them at the depth spots proves nothing is given under Harbaugh.
One of the more interesting stories of OTAs was the disappearing act of 2022 top-10 pick Evan Neal. After shocking the world by returning on a one-year, prove-it deal, Neal spent the entirety of practice buried on the third-team unit trying to stick at right guard.
Meanwhile, a quiet competition is brewing at left guard. Runyan took all of the first-team snaps, but his position isn't as secure as you might think. New York can clear $9 million in cap space by cutting him before the season starts. There currently appears to be no desire to do so, but never say never. Both Daniel Faalele and Aaron Stinnie saw second-unit snaps, and they'll wait for the pads to come on at training camp to make their final pushes.
Further down the roster, the youth movement is in full effect. 2026 sixth-round pick J.C. Davis and undrafted rookie Ryan Schernecke earned significant praise from the coaches for their work at tackle.
Just how fast this line needs to gel became painfully obvious during 11-on-11 drills. In one play, Abdul Carter blew straight through the A gap to blow up a Dart drop back in a flash. The real audition to headline Dart's security detail is just getting started.
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