Jon Runyan Jr. Moving Toward Retaining Giants’ LG Job

Although the Giants made a few guard investments this offseason, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes Runyan’s left guard job does not appear under threat. Runyan and first-round pick Francis Mauigoa, who is set to play right guard after playing right tackle at Miami, have taken every first-team guard rep at Giants camp, per Duggan.

As expected, Runyan opened New York’s Saturday preseason opener in his LG spot — one he has held since the start of the 2024 season. The Giants were planning on using Jermaine Eluemunor at LG upon signing both he and Runyan two years ago, but Evan Neal issues prompted Big Blue to keep Eluemunor at his RT post — where he had established some stability in Las Vegas — and slide Runyan from RG to LG.

The Giants announced mid-draft their Mauigoa pick would not threaten the recently re-signed Eluemunor’s job security. While a right tackle shift may come for the Miami product at some point during his rookie contract, Eluemunor secured two fully guaranteed years on his three-year, $39MM deal. As it stands now, it will be Runyan at LG and Mauigoa at RG to open the John Harbaugh era in New York.

In addition to the Mauigoa pick, the Giants signed veteran guard/center Lucas Patrick and two-year Ravens LG starter Daniel Faalele. Patrick has worked as the Giants’ backup center, per Duggan, while Faalele has been the second-team LG. The Giants will round out their starting O-line with Andrew Thomas at LT and John Michael Schmitz at center.

Neither Runyan nor Schmitz has provided an imposing presence as Giants, though. Pro Football Focus has ranked Runyan 58th and 65th among qualified guards in 2024 and ’25, respectively. Runyan came to New York, where his father would regularly battle Michael Strahan in Eagles-Giants matchups, after three seasons as a Green Bay starter. His contract expires at season’s end.

While a scenario in which the Giants move on via trade could be in play, given Faalele and Patrick’s arrivals under Harbaugh, nothing the team has done to this point suggests an O-line shakeup is coming as Jaxson Dart prepares for his first full season as Big Blue’s starting quarterback. Runyan, 29, will see his $9MM base salary become guaranteed shortly before Week 1.