Should NY Giants Run It Back with Same Starting Offensive Line from 2024?

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When it comes to a team’s offensive line, most coaches will tell you they prefer continuity in the personnel because the longer a group plays together, the better the unit potentially becomes.

Certainly, that’s what the New York Giants would like to see at some point; however, to reach that point, the team would need fewer debilitating injuries that especially affect the strength of the line’s personnel.

But in taking a look at how well the Giants’ offensive line combination of left tackle Andrew Thomas, left guard Jon Runyan, Jr, center John Michael Schmitz, right guard Greg Van Roten, and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor did last season, an argument could be made for upgrades.

According to TruMedia (via the Locked On Giants podcast), in the passing game, that initial o-line combination allowed 14 sacks (6.0%) and 86 pressures (35.8%) over six games. This combination faced a blitz on 27.1% of the snaps they played together.

Making matters worse, the bulk of the damage came on first and second downs, often setting up third-and-long, of which the Giants, per NFL Savant, had 146 third-down plays last season in which they needed six or more yards, and 68 of those 146 required at least 10 yards. 

As for the running game, the Giants, according to Pro Football Network, ranked 20th in running back yards before contact per rush (0.87).

To be fair to the unit, the starting five offensive linemen rarely worked together during last year’s training camp because of injuries. 

Furthermore, the initial plan to have Eluemunor at left guard, Runyon at right guard, and Evan Neal at right tackle had to be scrapped after Neal, who had suffered a setback from the season-ending ankle surgery he had undergone the previous year, ended up missing most of training camp.