Heading into the 2025 season, the Giants are coming off another incredibly disappointing campaign, which saw them go 3-14 and take another step in the wrong direction, putting GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll firmly on the hot seat. But as the team heads into 2025, there's optimism that the Giants will be an improved squad.
In this series, we’ll break down the depth chart for every position group. This time, we’ll go in-depth along the offensive line...
Projected depth chart
Starters (from left to right): Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan Jr., John Michael Schmitz, Greg Van Roten, Jermaine Eluemunor
Backups: Evan Neal, Aaron Stinnie, Austin Schlottmann, Marcus Mbow, James Hudson, Josh Ezeudu, Jimmy Morrissey, Stone Forsythe
Key additions/losses: Drafted Mbow in the fifth round, signed Hudson and Forsythe
Top Performers in 2024: N/A
2024 ranking via PFF: Thomas ranked 24th among 140 offensive tackles
What Giants offensive linemen have going for them
How long has the offensive line been a bugaboo for the Giants? It's starting to feel like forever.
Last offseason, Joe Schoen and his staff made an effort to improve the line, signing starters in Runyan, Van Roten, and Eluemunor, as well as key backups in Schlottmann and Stinnie. This offseason, the Giants drafted Mbow in the fifth round and added depth with free agents like Hudson and Forsythe, but the unit comes into 2025 looking nearly identical to how it did last year, from a starters perspective.
The linchpin of the group remains Thomas, an All-Pro in 2022 and one of the Giants' rare hits in terms of drafting linemen in recent memory. Thomas is as good a blindside protector as there is in the NFL, though durability has been a concern.
Aside from Thomas, the other big thing the Giants have going for them in the tranches is versatility. The veteran Eluemunor proved last season that he can line up pretty much anywhere, as he was signed primarily to play guard but ended up playing quite a bit at right tackle, which is where he slots in as a starter in 2025. Runyan and Van Roten can also move around a bit, and can take center reps if called upon.
The Giants may not have added an impact starter to the line this offseason, but continuity is huge for offensive linemen, and the starting members of the Giants' line should know each other very well at this point.
Key concern for 2025: Depth, if Thomas can't stay on the field
As mentioned, the 2024 offseason featured a big shakeup for the Giants' offensive line, but the 2025 offseason? Not so much. The concern here revolves around Thomas, who -- when healthy -- is as good as it gets. But staying healthy has been a problem for the big man, who has played a combined 16 games over the past two seasons due to myriad injuries. The left tackle spot became a revolving door with Thomas out, with Ezeudu and Chris Hubbard failing to get the job done before Eluemunor was eventually moved over to that spot.
Another question to keep in mind is how Neal fits into the picture. A first-round pick in 2022, Neal was supposed to be the starting right tackle for years to come, forming an outstanding young duo with Thomas, but those hopes have vanished, with Neal now an afterthought on the depth chart, finding himself as a backup guard. The Giants have already declined the 2026 fifth-year option for Neal, making 2025 his final year under contract. In all likelihood, Neal could be a cap casualty at the end of camp if the Giants don't find a trade partner. But if Neal were to stick with the team this season and rediscover what made him such a big-time prospect, perhaps he could help a line in need of depth.