NY Giants Need for Improvement Starts Up Front

New York Giants offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor is among the first people inside the walls of the franchise's practice facilities in East Rutherford to point out how there has been something different in the air as the team pushed through the final stages of their offseason program.

More specifically, the Giants seemed to be a new group that was carrying a heightened sense of urgency and intensity as they convened at headquarters to prepare for the upcoming 2025 season, which concluded with their two mandatory minicamp practices on Tuesday and Wednesday until the team will return once again in late July for the start of training camp.

The first positive sign was a complete showing by every member of the current roster at all of the voluntary and involuntary spring sessions, including the select who couldn't fully perform due to rehabbing certain ailments suffered in the previous season. 

More than that, it was the great display of fun yet serious competitiveness that took place for a set of non-contact practices, especially down in the trenches where Eluemunor and his fellow offensive linemen go to work.

Eluemunor, who is entering his second season with the Giants after signing as a free agent last offseason, explained that the general vibe in the offensive lineman room and throughout the organization is derived from a strong desire to set the tone and build a winning program in the 2025 season.

"I think people are just sick and tired of not being good, and it all starts in the trenches," Eluemunor told reporters after the Giant's final minicamp practice on Wednesday.

"O-line and d-line is where games are won. We can discuss the receiver room or DBs, and the quarterback is a really important position. Still, games are decided in the trenches, and so it was intense, especially with the players that we have on o-line and d-line, but at the end of the day, everyone got better from it."

The Giants could have listed a handful of different reasons why the 2024 campaign didn't meet expectations. The inconsistent quarterback play was always at the forefront of their woes, but it's hard to say that the effort from the offensive front was anything to write home about.

Despite a stronger start to the year, the classic injury bug would rear its ugly head and start decimating the Giants' starting lineup that featured a nice outside pairing of Eluemunor and All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas, whose season was cut short again by a Lisfranc injury suffered in Week 6.

Still, the Giants' protection lacked sufficient depth to remain competitive throughout the season and buckled under the weight of young players taking on critical roles. 

They allowed the team's four quarterbacks to get sacked a total of 48 times, which still ranked in the top 10 leaders when it was all said and done.

That was not a product that the Giants or their passionate fan base could take much pride in, and Eluemunor made it clear that he, first and foremost, wants to help them achieve many more victories than they managed to scrape together last fall.

"I mean, going 3-14 is terrible...it was the first time in a long time that I've had home-field advantage. The fans out here are passionate about this team and this franchise, and they want to win. But that's the same way we feel, too."

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