New York Giants’ John Harbaugh explains moving Joshua Ezeudu to guard

New York Giants' John Harbaugh explains moving Joshua Ezeudu to guard.

Key points

• Center John Michael Schmitz is heading into the final year of his rookie contract with the expectation that he won't be around in 2027.
• The odds of Ezeudu making the Giants' 53-man roster improved greatly with the trade of veteran Daniel Faalele to Jacksonville last week.
• Ezeudu played 58 snaps in Mauigoa's place against the Dolphins on Saturday before leaving the game with a leg injury.
• Right tackle Jeramaine Eluemunor was brought back on a three-year accord worth $39 million.
• The New York Giants have a lot going on in their offensive line room these days.

Notably, the New York Giants have a lot going on in their offensive line room these days. They are preparing to head into the season with basically the same starters as last year, except for rookie right guard Francis Mauigoa.

Andrew Thomas, the starting left tackle who hasn't played a full season since 2022 due to injuries, is having his playing time managed this summer to keep him healthy. After two seasons of playing with nagging physical problems, left guard Jon Runyan Jr. Is finally healthy, too.

Center John Michael Schmitz is heading into the final year of his rookie contract with the expectation that he won't be around in 2027. The Giants were seeking alternatives to the former second-round pick this past offseason, but nothing materialized.

In practice, the backups are where this Giants team differs from the past. Second-year swing tackle Marcus Mbow is a solid second-team player who could easily be a starter. Rookie J.C. Davis is additionally in the aims at tackle for Major Blue. He played every offensive snap in last Saturday's 26-3 preseason win against the Dolphins in Miami.

But it is at reserve guard, where the Giants' summer has gotten particularly interesting. Two former high draft picks — Evan Neal (No. 7 overall in 2022) and Joshua Ezuedu, a third-round pick in that same draft — were brought back in free agency this spring after their rookie contracts expired as part of new head coach John Harbaugh's "clean slate" program.

Meanwhile, the prevailing thought is that both players can't be busts. There must be something there. And he's been right. The two are battling hard in camp to create the roster. Neal, who washed out as a tackle in the NFL, is now a guard. The Giants have figured out that Ezeudu fits best at guard as well, but his experience at tackle makes him a valuable piece.

Ezeudu played 58 snaps in Mauigoa's place against the Dolphins on Saturday before leaving the game with a leg injury. It will not keep him out for more than a few days. Harbaugh explained to reporters on Sunday the plan for Ezeudu going forward.

"The position flex is the idea, and you may have noticed he went back out to tackle in the fourth quarter, so the ability for him to play both guard and tackle, particularly on the right side, would be helpful for us, " Harbaugh remarked to journalists.

"And that's our thought. He's kind of getting to the point now where we feel like he could swing right tackle, right guard. Right now we're kind of keeping him off the left side and just keeping him to the right side, and that helps a little bit with some of the techniques. It's like a hitter; he's not a switch hitter right now on both sides, but he is playing both the inside position and the outside position. So, we think he's ready for it, that he can handle it, and that gives us some position flexibility as a backup."

Notably, the odds of Ezeudu making the Giants' 53-man roster improved greatly with the trade of veteran Daniel Faalele to Jacksonville last week. His versatility could push him ahead of Neal and the rest of the pack as a reserve on this new Giants offensive line comprised of familiar faces.

In short, new York Giants John Harbaugh explains moving Joshua Ezeudu to guard is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.