In a pleasantly surprising development that perhaps not many people anticipated happening this season, the New York Giants’ offensive line has finally settled into the top 10 league-wide, according to Pro Football Focus’s metrics. 

This year, thanks in part to mostly good health and the return of left tackle Andrew Thomas, the Giants’ five starters–Thomas, left guard Jon Runyan, center John Michael Schmitz, right guard Greg Van Roten, and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor–have allowed just 115 quarterback pressures, which includes 14 sacks on 486 pass blocking opportunities.  

That’s good enough for an 86.7 pass-blocking rating, which is the eighth-best mark among NFL offensive lines.

Thomas has been lauded as being the best member of the Giants’ starting offensive line. Still, credit also needs to be given to two other players on the starting five for ratcheting up their games and making the unit all that much better.

Schmitz, the third-year center who got off to a sluggish start after being drafted by the Giants in the second round in 2023, has, without question, been the most improved of the five linemen.

Schmitz has sliced his pressures allowed in half, dropping them from 28 a year ago to 13 this season, among them just one sack as compared to the six he gave up last year. 

It has also helped that Schmitz hasn’t missed chunks of playing time this year, missing only two games (Weeks 7 and 10) due to injuries.

The other member of the offensive line who is playing his best ball is Eluemunor, who is in the final year of his two-year contract with the Giants.

Eluemunor has also cut down on his pass blocking pressures allowed, currently having surrendered 17 (down from 29 a year ago) against some of the league’s best pass rushers.

Tying it all together has been the coaching of offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo and assistant offensive line coach (and former NFL offensive lineman) James Ferentz, who, two years into working with the unit, have seen it rise from 29th in the PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating from a year ago to its current top-10 status.  

Even the rapid development of current reserve tackle Marcus Mbow, the team’s fifth-round draft pick this year, who jumped ahead of veteran James Hudson III on the depth chart, has been a feather in the coaches’ hats.

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