The 2023 season was one the New York Giants and their fans want to quickly erase from their memories. After making the postseason and winning a playoff game in the 2022 season, the team regressed in a major way last season.
New York went 6-11, struggling in many facets. The least productive unit on the team was on offense, where they struggled to consistently move the ball to score points.
A lot of people will point to the quarterback position as the reason for those struggles. Daniel Jones faceplanted after signing a four-year, $160 million contract. He was outplayed by veteran backup Tyrod Taylor and at times even undrafted free agent rookie Tommy DeVito.
A lot of Jones’ struggles can be placed on him not taking the necessary steps forward. Teams adjusted to what the New York Giants ran in 2022 to find success and Jones was unable to elevate his performance.
Alas, some of those struggles were because of the abysmal offensive line performance the team received. There wasn’t a team in the trenches worse than the New York Giants, as opponents pass rushes feasted weekly.
As shared by Warren Sharp, the New York Giants led the league in sacks allowed and the race wasn’t close. Their quarterbacks were sacked 85 times during the 2023 season; the next closest was the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers tied with 65.
An injury early in the season to star left tackle Andrew Thomas got the team off on the wrong foot along the offensive line. When he was in the lineup, the group performed at a higher level.
He was far from the only injury the team had to overcome. Thrid-stringers and practice squad players were logging heavy snaps in the trenches, as 10 players logged 100+ snaps along the offensive line.
Logging the third most was veteran Justin Pugh, who the team brought in off his couch midseason and immediately threw into the fire as an every-down starter. That gives a picture of just how dire things were for the positional group in 2023.
Looking to change their fortunes, the New York Giants made huge changes to this unit. Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson was fired and replaced by Carmen Bricillo of the Las Vegas Raiders.
In free agency, the team signed one of Bricillo’s star pupils from the Raiders in Jermaine Eluemenor. Further upgrading the interior of the offensive line, they signed Jon Runyan Jr. away from the Green Bay Packers.
With improvement from younger players such as Evan Neal and John Michael Schmitz, this group should be vastly improved. Health is important, but getting a new voice in Bricillo, who has a track record of developing and getting the most out of talent, has people believing better days are on the horizon for the New York Giants’ offensive line.
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