Making two top-10 picks at tackle over the past four years, the Giants have no questions at those positions. They also used a second-round choice on center John Michael Schmitz, and while the Minnesota product is a decent bet to begin his career as a starter, the Giants are not ensuring that route will open up just yet.
More notably, 2022 free agency addition Mark Glowinski does not appear a lock to keep his job, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post tweets. Swingman Ben Bredeson, who is also in contention for left guard, has mixed in regularly with the first team on the right side, with The Athletic’s Dan Duggan and Charlotte Carroll most recently noting Bredeson’s first-team RG usage (subscription required).
A 2021 trade acquisition from the Ravens, Bredeson has mixed in at all three spots along the Giants’ interior during training camp. He appears the top Schmitz competitor at center, while having begun recent practices (via Duggan) as the first-string left guard. Bredeson mixed in with Glowinski at right guard and 2022 third-round pick Joshua Ezeudu on the left side Tuesday. The former fourth-round pick is going into a contract year.
Bredeson being used at all three spots suggests the Giants have a potential swing role in mind, with Ezeudu also seeing steady first-unit time at left guard. Seeing the Joe Schoen-era Day 2 draftee seize the LG job alongside fellow Schoen pickups Schmitz and Glowinski would probably be the scenario the Giants prefer. Bredeson started eight games last season, playing a career-high 541 offensive snaps. The Giants lost center Jon Feliciano and guard/center Nick Gates in free agency; Bredeson would supply experience and represent insurance alongside Ezeudu (290 rookie-year snaps) and Schmitz.
Glowinski, 31, signed a three-year, $18.3MM deal that came with $11.4MM guaranteed. The longtime Colts starter gave the Giants 16 starts at right guard last season, as a rotation formed at the other guard post. Pro Football Focus graded Glowinski as last year’s No. 29 overall guard. It would be rather odd to see Glowinski benched, but the Giants are going through several options up front. Tyre Phillips, a 2022 waiver claim from the Ravens, has also taken first-team reps at left guard, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets.
This batch of blockers looks to have relegated Shane Lemieux to the roster bubble, Duggan adds. The fourth-year lineman has not been among the competitors for the Giants’ LG job. Lemieux has battled significant injury problems over the past two years, seeing a September 2021 patellar tendon tear keep him off the field until November 2022. A toe injury then limited Lemieux to one game all season. With the Giants activating former fifth-rounder Marcus McKethan from the active/PUP list Monday — after an August 2022 ACL tear — Lemieux will need to fight for a job during this year’s preseason. While Lemieux has mixed in as a backup center as well, Jack Anderson is also on the radar for that post.
The Giants chose Schmitz at No. 56 overall, viewing him as the better option compared to consideration Jalin Hyatt, whom they circled back to in Round 3. Just before the Schmitz pick, Brian Daboll said the All-Big Ten blocker could start in Week 1. Schmitz received every first-team center rep Tuesday, per Duggan and Carroll. It would surprise if he were not Big Blue’s starting pivot to open the season.
All I know is the Bears better hope Tyrique Stevenson is darn good or they missed a huge opportunity to solidify their O-Line with Schmitz. The Giants got a real steal there I bet.
So the interior line will be the excuse for another bad year from D Jones? Gotta have one for bad QB play.
The line has never been good in any of DJ’s years as a pro… Heck, they haven’t been good for a few years before he was drafted. Their best lineman, Thomas was even below average his first year, decent his second year and finally became a stud last year. Also, DJ was solid last year, and that’s with a subpar line and offensive weapons.
If you think DJ is a good QB, ok. 4 years of tape says otherwise.
arty, you usually have a solid take, but I’d disagree on Jones. Certainly not a #6 pick QB you’d expect, but I think he is fringe top 10. Aside from the obvious HC and OC stuff, he has made adjustments that are positive. I think the biggest problem for any QB is having constant revolving WRs. you miss out on body language and timing. I think this year is a make or break.
A QB has to win a few MVP awards like Rodgers before he can go to the GM with a shopping list of WRs he like to have as targets.
We’ll see. Most of the articles written on him said last year was his best season & he only had 15 TD’s last year. For comparisons sake, Marcus Mariota also had 15 TD’s, but in 13 games not 16.
You conveniently leave out the fact that DJ also rushed for 700+ yards and 7 TDs. That brings his total up to 22 TDs in 16 regular season games. If you include the minn playoff game where he threw 3 TDs that’s 25 total TDs in 17 games. If we are cherry picking comparisons like you did with Mariota, the 3 time MVP Roger’s had 26 TDs last season.