John Harbaugh understands the assignment when it comes to competing in the NFC East. During a recent interview, the New York Giants head coach said building a team that can compete with the two-time division champion Philadelphia Eagles must be a priority.
“The Eagles are the champs. So, we have to build a team to beat the Eagles. Everything we do, every practice we have, every every film session will be with that in mind. I mean, you better do it or you have no chance …
“It starts up front because they’re so good up front on both sides. I mean, you build better build an offensive line all across the board. I mean, especially interior offensive line that can handle those monsters that they have playing up front. Okay, that’s where it starts.”
Which brings us to one of the biggest free agency decisions Harbaugh and the Giants have to make this offseason — whether or not to retain veteran right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.
Reasons to keep Eluemunor
Eluemunor is a good offensive lineman coming off the best season of his career. Unless you have a solid plan to replace him that you are sure you can execute, letting a player like that go might not be the way to prove you are serious about building “all across the board” offensive line.
Eluemunor, 31, started his career with Harbaugh in 2017 when the Baltimore Ravens made him a fifth-round pick. It took him until 2022 with the Las Vegas Raiders to become a full-time starting right tackle, and his play has continued to ascend. He played a career-high 1,088 snaps in 2025, had a career-best Pro Football and Sports Network Impact Score of 79.1, and his 98.0 Pro Football Focus pass blocking efficiency score with just 19 pressures allowed were both career-best marks as a full-time starter.
Keeping Eluemunor would allow the Giants to perhaps look at 2025 fifth-round pick Marcus Mbow as an option at guard, where Greg Van Roten is a free agent who will be 36 next season and Jon Runyan Jr. could be a cap casualty.
Keeping Eluemunor would also allow the Giants to focus their resources on other needs early in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Reasons to let him go
Is Eluemunor simply a product of former Giants offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo? Since being traded from the Ravens to the New England Patriots in 2019, Eluemunor has always been coached by Bricillo. Can he succeed following Mike Bloomgren’s teachings? Probably, but it is still a consideration.
Perhaps the Giants believe Mbow, who has mixed success in 2025 and only a 92.6 pass blocking efficiency score with 26 pressures allowed in 209 pass blocking snaps, can be their right tackle. Perhaps they look at draft prospects Spencer Fano of Utah and Francis Mauigoa of Miami, both right tackles, and see players they don’t want to pass on.
Money is, of course, a factor. Eluemunor is coming off a two-year, $14 million contract with the Giants. He likely looks at this as the best chance he will ever have to cash in a big payday.
Spotrac isn’t sure Eluemunor will find the market he is hoping for, projecting a modest bump for him to a two-year, $17.3 million deal, roughly $8.6 million per year. If the bidding for Eluemunor gets into the $10-12 million per year range, maybe the Giants will see that as too rich. After all, you could make the case that the 2025 season could be Eluemunor’s ceiling as a player, and that paying him big money would not be a wise investment.
The verdict
Re-sign.
Provided, of course, the free agent bidding doesn’t take the price to an exorbitant place.
I like Mbow, but in my view he did not show enough in 2025 to remove a quality veteran and hand him a starting job. In terms of the draft, re-signing Eluemunor allows the Giants to focus on another position at No. 5. Even if the Giants did sign Eluemunor and still want to use the fifth overall pick on an offensive, scouts believe Mauigoa, who I personally like more than Fano, might be a better guard. The Giants could start him at guard as a rookie, get his feet wet, then make a decision about whether or not to move him outside.
