Purdue offensive lineman Jaelin Alstott-VanDeVanter (65) and Purdue offensive lineman Marcus Mbow (63) during practice, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021 at Bimel Practice Complex in West Lafayette. Purdue Football Camp Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Giants Bring in Athleticism at Guard in Fifth-round Pick Marcus Mbow

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Gene Clemons | Last updated Apr 27, 2025 3:00 PM ET

After finding their bruiser (Cam Skattebo) at running back in the fourth round, the New York Giants filled another position of need in the fifth round with Purdue offensive guard/tackle Marcus Mbow.

Mbow has been compared to former Buccaneers center/guard Ali Marpet, who had a really good career in Tampa Bay. The only knock against Mbow has been his size, but at 6 feet 4 inches and 305 pounds, he is still big enough to play guard.

That the Giants were able to get Mbow when they did, for a key position of need (offensive line depth), is a win-win.

What's to Love?

Mbow is an explosive offensive lineman who uses his quickness and burst to get onto defenders quickly. This is important because the person who strikes first usually wins the fight.

Mbow will strike first, and when he starts, he keeps going until it is over. Not only does he use his athleticism to move bodies on the line of scrimmage at the point of attack, but he also has the quickness and takes fantastic angles, which allows him to make critical blocks beyond the line of scrimmage at the second level.

Mbow is an extremely intelligent football player. He uses that intelligence to help him succeed against bigger defenders on the line of scrimmage or more athletic defenders in space at the second level or on the perimeter.

He understands how to download information on the fly and adjust to what he is seeing in real-time, which is one reason talent evaluators believe he could one day become an excellent center.

Mbow also times his strikes well, making it more difficult for defenders to counter his blocks. He keeps defenders frustrated and off balance, so they play from behind and are left guessing.

What Needs to Improve?

Mbow is not getting much bigger, as he’s already filled out his frame. What he can do is get much stronger.

He needs to dedicate himself to the weight room this offseason as he prepares for training camp and then double down on it when training camp arrives.

He finds it difficult to use force to redirect the defensive bull rush, but becoming more powerful will help him do that as the level of competition increases.

Mbow will need to clean up technical things as he continues to improve at the next level.

He has to get more specific with his hand placement. He tends to let his hands drift outside of his body's framework, which results in him being called for many holding penalties in the NFL.

He can also be too busy with his feet and overset to attack edge rushers or second-level blitzers. This opens him up to inside moves and line stunts.

All of these issues, though, are correctable through coaching.

How He Fits

Mbow is perfect for the Giants, especially regarding what they are doing with their offensive line. As a rookie, figure he will be a ‘ super sub” at guard and tackle.

He has performed at a high level at guard and tackle in the Big 10 against NFL-level competition and will bring that versatility. He may train some at center at some point, and head coach Brian Daboll has already said that Mbow will work at tackle.

His athleticism should serve him well as he settles into his role with the Giants. His future is probably brightest as a guard, where there could be a path for him to become a future starter.

For the time being, Mbow projects as a valuable depth piece who, if called upon, should be able to maintain the level of play with minimal to no drop-off if the guy he’s replacing is injured.

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