Evan Neal isn’t the only underperforming offensive lineman drafted by the New York Giants who is receiving a second chance from head coach John Harbaugh. Josh Ezeudu is in the same situation.
Ezeudu, in fact, might have a better chance of making the roster than Neal.
A 2022 third-round pick who turns 27 in September, Ezeudu has had a rocky tenure with the Giants. Drafted as a guard with positional flexibility, Ezeudu could not win a starting job at guard in his first two training camps.
Out of necessity,
Ezeudu ended up playing mostly left tackle in 2023 and 2024 as a substitute for the injured Andrew Thomas. Things did not go well in either stint. Last season, Ezeudu suffered a training camp ankle injury. Despite eventually getting healthy enough to play, he never made it to the active roster.
Fans wondered a year ago why Ezeudu was still getting preseason reps at tackle rather than being allowed to compete for a job at his natural guard spot. When he was offered a chance to join the 90-man roster and compete for a job, the initial thought was that new head coach John Harbaugh and new offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren would move him inside.
That has not been the case. Ezeudu lineup up almost exclusively at right tackle during spring practices that were open to the media.
“I think guard and tackle is very possible,” Bloomgren said at the end of mandatory minicamp. “We’ve tried to leave him to tackle as much as possible through this offseason program, and that’s where we’re planning to start him in training camp.”
The Brian Daboll coaching staff, with Carmen Bricillo as offensive line coach, seemed insistent that Ezeudu was a tackle despite his failings at the position.
Harbaugh and Bloomgren seem to believe the same thing.
Except for a couple of workouts he missed with an elbow issue, Ezeudu worked throughout the spring as the second-team right tackle. Neal worked almost exclusively as a third-team guard, with the third group receiving fewer practice reps.
“Josh has done some very good things,” Bloomgren said. “And when he’s putting it together footwork-wise, hand placement-wise, you see why they drafted him in the first place.
“And you realize that this guy has a lot of potential, and that’s exciting.”
Ezeudu has played 402 snaps at tackle and 317 at guard, but has played just 28 snaps at guard since his rookie season in 2022.
The Giants have second-year player Marcus Mbow penciled in as their primary swing tackle, the role he filled last season. Ezeudu could be competing with rookie sixth-round pick J.C. Davis for a roster spot. If the Giants decide Davis isn’t ready to be on the 53-man roster, or Ezeudu’s ability to play four positions in an emergency is too tantalizing to pass on, he could emerge with a roster spot.
