The New York Giants finally feel good about their offensive line heading into the 2026 season.
The biggest long-term question on the line is the left guard position currently manned by Jon Runyan Jr., who will be a free agent after the 2026 season. If we assume that none of the Giants’ current reserve interior linemen are able to beat Runyan out and make him a cap casualty — or establish themselves as an obvious heir — the left guard position is an obvious need for 2027.
As things stand now, the offensive
interior doesn’t appear to be a position of strength in the upcoming draft. That could make Minnesota left guard Greg Johnson, who enters the season with a round 3 grade on the consensus big board, one of the players to watch for the giants. He has a number of traits that could appeal to the Giants if they turn to the draft for Runyan’s replacement.
What does Johnson bring to the field? And can he take the next step to become a player the Giants should target?
What he does well
Johnson has great size for an offensive lineman and is listed at 6-foot-6, 325 pounds. He looks the part with a big, thick frame, particularly in his lower half. Despite his obvious size, he moves well for an interior lineman and was even able to be an emergency starter at tackle. Johnson started two games at tackle for Minnesota, one at left tackle and one at right tackle.
Johnson is quick out of his stance and shows the ability to fire forward on downhill runs with good explosiveness as well as pad level. He has the power to displace defenders and distort the line of scrimmage when he engages with good leverage and drives. Likewise, Johnson has enough athleticism to execute zone blocking techniques, work to the second level off of double teams, or get out in front of screens.
Minnesota uses a relatively diverse running scheme, and Johnson played well in both downhill gap schemes as well as both inside and outside zone schemes.
His athleticism also shows up in pass defense. Johnson has enough mobility to mirror most interior defenders as well as redirect to account for loopers on stunts and twists, or pick up interior blitzers. His strength allows him to anchor against power rushers, as well as stonewall speed rushers as long as he’s able to get a piece of them.
Finally, Johnson plays with excellent competitive toughness. Not only does he strive to sustain his blocks for as long as possible or actively look for work if he isn’t initially engaged, he looks for opportunities to have the last word. Johnson plays with a definite nasty streak and consistently ends plays with an extra shove or attempts to leave his opponent on the ground.
What he needs to work on
The biggest issue in Johnson’s game comes down to consistency in technique.
Johnson has the ability to play with excellent leverage, getting under defenders’ pads and driving them off the ball or stonewalling pass rushers. However, he can have a tendency to allow his pads to rise or get out over his skis trying to make a block. In those cases, both his power and balance can be compromised and create opportunities for the defender.
Johnson also needs to be more consistent in his hand placement. He has the ability to dominate the rep when he wins inside leverage and is able to truly lock onto defenders. However, there are a few too many plays where his strike either fails to land or fails to find his opponent’s chest plate. There might be some concerns regarding Johnson’s arm length, and he has a bit of a tendency to lunge at defenders when attempting to deliver powerful strikes. His worst reps come when he lunges at the same time as allowing his hips to rise, usually resulting in a loss or winding up on the ground.
NFL coaches will love the edge with which Johnson plays, and he won’t want to dull that edge. However, he also can’t allow his aggressiveness to get the better of him and hurt his team.
Game tape
(Johnson is the Minnesota left guard wearing number 65. Note, this is a full game tape and also includes Nebraska’s offense.)
Final thoughts
As things stand now, there’s a real chance that Greg Johnson could be one of the highest-graded pure interior linemen in the upcoming draft. Of course, whether that translates to a Day 1 grade or a Day 2 grade remains to be seen. The upcoming draft is already highly anticipated for the talent at premium positions, but the offensive interior is always difficult to project outside of obvious stars like Quenton Nelson or Vega Ioane.
Johnson’s size, athleticism, power, schematic diversity, and competitiveness could well appeal to a team like the Giants. He has the size and power to execute Greg Roman’s run schemes, the athleticism to be a reliable pass protector, and the competitive toughness to fit in a John Harbaugh offensive line. Likewise, his history as a left guard could make him a natural fit as a replacement for Jon Runyan Jr. The next step for him will be to play with more consistency, and he has the potential to be a very good guard if he does so.
Johnson has a real chance to wind up being a good value in the second round if he can play with more consistency and control without dulling the edge that makes him exciting.
