The New York Giants were very active to start free agency, but there are still a couple glaring holes in their roster.
Most notably, the Giants right guard depth chart is Jake Kubas.
That’s it, just Kubas.
And, all due respect to Kubas, I sincerely doubt the Giants want to go into the 2026 NFL season with him as their whole plan at right guard. However, the Giants were either unwilling to shop at the top of the guard market for an upgrade over Greg Van Roten or the free agents took other opportunities.
In particular, there was a lot of smoke connecting the Giants with Alijah Vera-Tucker, however the young and talented (but oft-injured) guard signed with the New England Patriots for more than the Giants spent on Jermaine Eluemunor.
Since then, there have been reports that the Giants believe the next tier of guards are overpriced and are turning their attention away from the guard market. So with that in mind let’s take a look on their options for fielding five starting offensive linemen.
Free agency
The Giants might have missed out (or passed) on the top of the free agent pool, and are opting out of shopping in the mid-tier until prices come down. However there are still free agents available who could fill the Giants’ need at the position. The choices aren’t great, but they might do, at least for this year.
I’m going to assume that the Giants wouldn’t be interested in Evan Neal, Josh Ezeudu, or Mekhi Becton. I will, however, look at younger options as I’m assuming the Giants would like to find a player who might be more than a one-year Band-Aid.
Greg Van Roten
Old reliable — emphasis on “old” as he enters his year 36 season. Van Roten was serviceable for the Giants in 2024 and 2025, and has been a reliable pass protector thanks to his technique and experience. He lacks a great anchor or power in the run game, and there are some issues with his footwork and how he deals with games along the line of scrimmage that makes life harder for his teammates.
On the flip side, continuity counts along an offensive line and his familiarity with both John Michael Schmitz and newly re-signed RT Jermaine Eluemunor are marks in his favor. Considering the lack of depth at guard and center, the Giants should probably bring back Van Roten for another year regardless of what else they do.
James Daniels (Miami Dolphins)
Daniels is a boom-bust player, but not because of his play on the field. The 28-year old has been good for the Chicago Bears (where he played under Matt Nagy) and was briefly great for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. However, he suffered an Achilles injury in 2024 and then an injured pec early in 2025.
The Dolphins insisted that Daniels would return from Injured Reserve at some point in 2025, but he never did and they ultimately released him after the season. If his medicals check out, he could be an intriguing option to pair with Van Roten as depth.
Robert Jones (Dallas Cowboys)
Jones is a former Miami Dolphin who certainly fits the bill if you’re looking for a big, powerful run blocker. Bad news first: Jones didn’t play a snap for the Cowboys in 2025 thanks to a broken bone (neck) suffered in the preseason. Before that, he gave up an abysmal 28 pressures (5 sacks, 4 hits, 19 hurries as a guard) in 2024 for the Dolphins.
However, he was a roughly average guard in the three years prior to that for the Dolphins and the 6-foot-4, 330-pounder was prized by the Cowboys for his run blocking acumen a year ago.
The 2026 NFL Draft
The Giants’ long-term solution at guard will likely have to come from the draft. Ideally, I would have hoped that the Giants solve their right guard problem through free agency and then draft a developmental lineman to replace Jon Runyan Jr. at left guard in a year’s time. That might still be possible, but finding a starter for right guard is the priority.
I’ll offer some options for the first and second days of the draft.
Olaivavega Ioane (Penn State)
Vega Ioane is one of our two first round options, and he’s probably the best offensive lineman in this year’s draft. He’s a very clean prospect who’s adept at man and zone run blocking, as well as pass protection. He’ll get compared to Quentin Nelson as a potential Top 5 pick, but I won’t go there. Nelson is simply one of the best prospects I’ve ever scouted at any position and is in the “Andrew Luck” and “Myles Garrett” tier for me.
Personally, I would prefer to pair Ioane with a trade down to acquire a bit more draft capital and make the value work a bit better. However, it takes two to dance and Ioane would be acceptable at 5th overall. I wouldn’t like it and it isn’t a great use of resources, but Ioane will be a good player in the NFL for a long time.
If the Giants go into the draft with a hole at right guard, this is the no-nonsense solution. Take your medicine and move on.
Francis Mauigoa (Miami)
This is our other first round option. It’s possible that Mauigoa is selected before the Giants’ pick at 5th overall if the Cardinals or Titans view him as a Day 1 starter at offensive tackle. However, if the rest of the NFL views him as a likely guard, then he could slide.
In this case, Mauigoa is my contingency plan if the Giants are able to orchestrate a trade back and Ioane gets picked earlier than expected. Mauigoa struggles with speed off the edge as well as redirection back inside, however he is a nasty mauler of a right tackle. As long as he can keep his pads down, he should be able to handle the move inside well.
Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon)
Pregnon is probably the first option for the Giants at the top of the second round. He may sneak into the bottom of the first round, but he doesn’t have the athletic traits nor the high-profile reputation that usually appeal to teams in the first. Instead, he is just an all-around good guard who may not be an elite prospect but can be a long-time contributor.
He’s quick and agile, though not fast over any kind of distance, with the ability to execute a variety of blocking schemes as well as pass protect against speed and power. Pregnon also has experience at both left and right guard, so he should be able to step in and start at RG as a rookie. There’s added versatility for the Giants if they do find an answer they like at RG and want to move on from Runyan Jr.
Gennings Dunker (Iowa)
The fifth pick in the second round might be a reach for Dunker, and his draft stock might be more in the late-second or third round range. But I’ll admit this up front: I don’t care, Dunker is one of My Guys and I really want to see him in the same locker room as Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo.
Dunker has been Iowa’s right tackle, but like Zack Martin and Justin Pugh, he’s a much better fit inside than out. He’s a tough and powerful blocker who excels in the run game, but his near-tackle athleticism would make him a very athletic guard.
Keylan Rutledge (Georgia Tech)
Dubbed the “nastiest player in the draft”, Rutledge reminds me of nobody quite so much as Rich Suebert. Rutledge might slide to the Giants at the top of the fourth round, but he’s much more likely to be a 3rd round prospect after a good performance at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
He has experience in a huge range of blocking schemes in Georgia Tech’s offense which could appeal to Greg Roman and John Harbaugh. He’s a very athletic guard, but needs to polish his technique as a pass protector. There’s still too much lunging in pass pro, and NFL pass rushers will make him pay, which is why he’s much more likely to be a third-round prospect.
This is one where making the value work could be tricky. The Giants don’t have their 3rd round pick and would have to find some way to get someone’s. Perhaps that’s part of a trade involving Kayvon Thibodeaux, or a trade down from 5th or 37th overall. That could be in the cards if a potential starting caliber QB like Ty Simplson or Garrett Nussmeier is there and a team QB-needy team wants to jump up. That isn’t something the Giants can count on, but it might be the best outcome if their nerve holds and the Football Gods smile upon them.
See More:
