May 10, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants offensive lineman Marcus Mbow (71) speaks during a press conference after rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. John Jones-Imagn Images

Giants Rookie OL Marcus Mbow Welcomes a Potential Big Role

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Stephen Lebitsch | Last updated May 12, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The New York Giants' newest class of rookie players is one of the most confident bunches the NFL has seen in a long time. Their fifth-round pick, offensive lineman Marcus Mbow, could arguably be the biggest face of the core's immediate braggadocious persona.

For most modest novices entering the pros, the prospect of being asked to play a position different than what they're used to tends to be extremely daunting. Mbow, the Giants' 154th overall pick in the 2025 draft, is special in that he isn't shying away from that challenge should he be tasked with taking it on as a first-year blocker.

Mbow, who came to East Rutherford with experience as both a guard and tackle during his days with the Purdue Boilermakers, could very well find himself becoming the do-it-all man on New York's offensive line. The line is building depth and fluctuating other guys between certain spots to make the whole unit jive the best.

The Giants, led by offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo, started working with Mbow at the right tackle hole during the team's rookie minicamp sessions this weekend. Still, no final decision has been made on his ultimate first placement. It could change as veterans reenter the facilities and the offseason progresses closer to training camp this summer.

Either way, Mbow isn't letting the direction that his first days with the franchise go phase him, even shunning any concerns about stress about jumping into any job on the offensive front with a bold and straightforward two-word phrase.

"All five," Mbow told the media following Saturday's Giants’ final minicamp practice.

Standing at 6 feet 5 inches and just barely touching the 300-pound threshold, Mbow was a surprisingly solid role player in his four seasons at Purdue. He was the No. 10-ranked tackle prospect on Pro Football Focus's big board entering the draft, and there was widespread belief that he had considerable day 2 potential.

Instead, he fell to the fifth round of the festivities, and his overall value was nowhere near deserving of that placement. In his final two seasons with the school, Mbow assumed the starting right tackle position, where he played in 446 snaps and allowed just four sacks and two quarterback hits.

Before that, Mbow played at the right guard hole, and his numbers were even sharper. He posted a 98.4 blocking efficiency score while not giving up a single sack and just 11 total pressures in 551 snaps during the 2023 campaign. He hasn't graded less than 70.0 in overall blocking, making him a total steal for the Giants if he can translate that to the professional level.

His versatility in college has given Mbow the unquenchable confidence and curiosity to go into his first training camp with the Giants and learn the ins and outs of each role on the offensive line.

He doesn't view it as a mental overload for a young man just fitting into his shoulder pads. He thinks it could be the best thing for the overall trajectory of his NFL career, which is just getting started and already has encouraging upside.

"Either way, I like to know every position on the line, like what each role is, no matter what's going on," Mbow added.

"Being able to play all positions would be better for me at tackle, guard, or center. Just being able to know everything and know what everybody's doing will make me good. I wouldn't say it's too stressful."

If anyone would love a reliable and multifaceted athlete protecting him in the future, it would be the Giants' rookie quarterback, Jaxson Dart.

Mbow explained how the two players got to know each other in a series of text message exchanges dating back to their days as wide-eyed high schoolers.

Their shared awareness of each other began when Dart, who was taken No. 25 in the first round after the Giants moved up the board to select him as their future franchise signal caller, tried to lure Mbow to his own program at Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah, where he shattered state records en route to becoming the Gatorade Player of the Year for the 2014 season.

While the two went their separate ways through their college journeys, they stayed in communication virtually and continuously toyed with the idea of being teammates one day. Little did they know their wish would become reality as they each landed in the Big Apple, and it's a funny conversation that will motivate their path of leading the Giants' offense in the years to come.

"First thing he said to me was like, ‘It's crazy how things work out.'" Mbow said, "So yeah, we remembered."

The rest of the league will certainly remember Mbow's name if he finds a way to come in and be the workhorse protector that made him one of the most coveted linemen in the late draft rounds. What a huge success story for Joe Schoen to add to his metaphorical trophy case.

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