The New York Giants signed veteran swing tackle James Hudson III in free agency to operate as insurance for when the inevitable injury bug strikes. When he’s not moonlighting as an MMA fighter, Hudson can be relied on to give New York’s line the all-business attitude it needs when a starter goes down.
The 26-year-old has been getting training camp reps in at left tackle while Andrew Thomas works back from a Lisfranc injury. Hudson’s role on the line cannot be overstated. Last season, the lack of offensive line depth torpedoed the season before it ever began. So when Giants beat writer Pat Leonard reported the Thomas insurance plan had left practice Wednesday due to an apparent injury, it was collective eye rolls all over again.
Surface-level, this isn’t ideal, but he was walking under his own power, which is likely indicative of nothing too serious. Still, definitely not the best and a bit troubling. But if there is a silver lining here, it’s that this should now give rookie Marcus Mbow immediate reps at the left tackle position, which could be invaluable to his development.
James Hudson suffers apparent injury at camp, but it's Marcus Mbow to the rescue
New York needs an offensive lineman they’ve drafted to stick like a house needs a roof. Seriously, it’s felt like a billion bodies in and a billion bodies out. The Giants can’t draft an offensive lineman like the Patriots can’t draft a receiver. But Mbow could finally be the one to change the narrative.
Drafted in the fifth round out of Purdue, Mbow’s calling card is his versatility. He can theoretically play inside and out... although the unofficial depth chart views him as a swing tackle. That doesn’t mean he can’t or won’t move inside.
He was a guard coming out of the draft, so it’s pretty interesting to see him occupy both backup tackle spots, but not either of the backup guard slots. Hmm…
Regardless, he's been making a name for himself already. He's been impressing the front office, most notably general manager Joe Schoen, who had high praise for the 22-year-old, saying: “He’s done a really good job at left and right tackle. I’m excited to see him in the preseason."
The Giants’ offensive line is in a relative state of flux right now... as if it hasn’t been for literal decades. The only spot locked on the line is Andrew Thomas’, but his health is just too up-in-the-air to be relied upon. So guys like Mbow become infinitely more important. Evan Neal and Greg Van Roten are battling for the starting right guard position, while John Michael Schmitz is getting hounded left and right at practice.
This might be Mbow’s perfect opportunity to show the team he can finally be the one to right the ship. There’s a saying, “another man’s pain is another man’s gain,” and while no one is rooting for injuries, ever, the reality of the NFL is that they’re bound to happen. With Thomas and Hudson now out of the way (at least for now), it’s time for this rookie to give it all he’s got while he’s in the thick of the spotlight.