Giants Urged to Promote Promising Rookie Into Battle for Important Role

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll started yanking players off the field at training camp for pre-snap penalties in recent practices. One of the NYG veterans pulled from first-team work was new swing tackle James Hudson, who has been spelling the injured Andrew Thomas at left tackle.

On the surface, this teaching moment may not seem like much of a training camp development, but the byproduct was Giants rookie fifth-rounder Marcus Mbow receiving a quality opportunity at left tackle on August 2.

“Since Hudson’s false start came on the first play of a period, that meant Marcus Mbow got six reps as the first-team LT,” The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reported on Saturday. Adding: “Didn’t focus on him, but [Mbow] didn’t stand out for any negative reasons.”

The offensive line is one of the few positions where no practice name drops from the media is generally a good thing. Typically, when a blocker is mentioned, it’s because he got beat for a sack or a quarterback pressure, so a quiet day at the office is usually the best an O-lineman can hope for.

However, Mbow achieved something a little better than that on August 2, as “Giants Nation Show” podcaster Bobby Skinner actually called upon Big Blue to give the 2025 draft pick a real shot at a promotion after his strong performance on Saturday.

“Marcus Mbow looked good v. Kayvon [Thibodeaux],” Skinner voiced on X. Continuing: “[I] wanna see him get a chance to battle with James Hudson for swing OT.”

This is something fans have often clamored for this spring and summer, too, as Mbow has become a fast fan favorite among Giants supporters.

Giants’ Marcus Mbow Not Involved in Right Guard Competition

Fans initially hoped Mbow might get a chance to start at guard, but the Giants have been pretty consistent about him learning offensive tackle first at the NFL level.

Although the coaching staff never officially ruled out Mbow getting some work at guard, his early success at the tackle position hints that Daboll and company won’t move him inside anytime soon. And why would they?

The Giants have had trouble filling the right tackle position opposite Thomas — as well as the left tackle position when Thomas is unavailable. Jermaine Eluemunor currently occupies the right-hand side, but anyone who has paid any attention to Big Blue in recent years would tell you that the more young and capable offensive tackles NYG finds, the better.

If Mbow eventually develops into the swing tackle in 2025, great. But it’d be even better if he turns into the long-term answer at right tackle.

Giants Ex-First-Round Pick Evan Neal Appears to Be Progressing at Right Guard

The other good news on the offensive line is that former first-round tackle bust Evan Neal appears to be picking up right guard with some success.

Neal has been getting first-team reps at right guard at Giants training camp with projected starter Greg Van Roten awaiting the birth of his second child.

According to Duggan, similar to Mbow, Neal quietly got the job done again on August 2, as the NYG beat reporter didn’t notice either youngster make any glaring mistakes. Compared to Neal’s initial NFL training camps at right tackle, that in itself is a major improvement.

In a dream scenario, the Giants’ starting offensive line of the future, left to right, is a healthy Thomas, Jon Runyan Jr. (or the versatile Eluemunor on an extension), John Michael Schmitz, Neal, and Mbow. But there’s still a long way to go before that dream turns into a reality.