It is no secret that the New York Giants face a big decision at the right tackle position this off-season. Going into his third year, former 8th overall pick Evan Neal has yet to reach his potential as a tackle, but the idea of kicking him inside to guard presents an opportunity for the Giants to make improvements in the trenches.
The Right Tackle Conundrum and Potential Solutions
This past season, Neal played just 460 snaps, dealing with injuries to both angles. He allowed 30 pressures over that sample size, meaning he’s given up 10 sacks and 82 pressures over his first two seasons in the NFL.
With the Giants hiring Carmen Bricillo from the Las Vegas Raiders, an obvious connection in free agency would be Jermaine Eluemunor, a 29-year-old veteran who excelled this past year.
For now, Neal is considered the starter at right tackle, but the Giants need to add competition, and it seems as though they’re headed in that direction, according to one report.
“[Evan Neal is] their right tackle … right now. I’d expect the Giants to actively look for his replacement this offseason, though. This could come in the first round of the draft (Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, Penn State’s Olu Fashanu) or free agency (Michael Onwenu, Jonah Williams, Jermaine Eluemunor),” Connor Hughes of SNY reports. “They’ll kick Neal inside once they find that player.”
The Giants Have Options to Add Talent to Right Tackle
Eluemunor makes perfect sense, having played two consecutive seasons with a minimum of 905 snaps. He allowed 28 pressures and six sacks last year, a similar number to Neal but with around double the snaps — 779 came at right tackle and 125 at left tackle.
As a pass-protector, Eluemunor grades at an above-average clip, and his run-blocking has improved significantly over the past two years. In fact, the Raiders hosted the league’s most efficient running game, with Josh Jacobs in Bricillo’s first year coaching the offensive line in 2022.
The hope is that Bricillo can help develop some of the Giants’ young players and potentially reunite with familiar faces from his past. Eluemunor won’t earn a significant payday but should justify a worthwhile contract.
OverTheCap has his expected value at $7.5 million per season, so the Giants could consider bringing him in on a three-year, $21 million deal, which includes an out after the second season and at least 50% of the contract guaranteed.
If the Giants want to lock down right tackle and add a competitor, it is going to cost them. Ultimately, Eluemunor could always transition to a swing option at the very least, and the Giants know how valuable that can be.
Fortunately, they will save about $5.7 million by cutting Mark Glowinski, which they can roll over to Eluemunor or another free agent, but the former Raiders’ tackle makes perfect sense given his chemistry with Bricillo.
More must-reads: