Greg Van Roten, New York Giants
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Greg Van Roten #74 of the New York Giants is introduced against the San Francisco 49ers before their game at MetLife Stadium.
The New York Giants had clear needs heading into the 2026 offseason, and despite being somewhat financially handicapped, they achieved them.
New York wasn’t flush with cap space. They restructured Brian Burns’ contract and made some difficult cuts, but they freed up enough money to make some meaningful additions and retentions.
Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor is back, and some new faces were brought into the fold, like linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and tight end Isaiah Likely.
But one Giants insider says the team isn’t finished, and there’s a massive hole they’ve yet to fill that could sink the team if they continue not to address it.
Giants Must Address Right Guard
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan pointed out that the New York Giants have to address the vacant right guard spot on the offensive line.
“The offensive makeover is incomplete until right guard is addressed, however. There are roughly six months until the season kicks off, so the Giants have plenty of time, but the market is getting thinner,” wrote Duggan.
“There are still some guards on the market with ties to the Giants and/or Harbaugh. Kevin Zeitler was with the Giants in 2019 and 2020 before spending three seasons with Harbaugh in Baltimore. Greg Van Roten has played every snap at right guard for the Giants the past two seasons.”
The Giants haven’t necessarily neglected the offensive line this offseason, but it’s fair to say that right guard is still a massive hole.
Greg Van Roten, the incumbent starter, is still a free agent. Sure, they re-signed Evan Neal, but he just made the switch to guard last year and didn’t play a single snap in 2025; he can’t be counted on to be the starter the Giants are looking for.
New York needs a proven commodity in that spot, and while Van Roten may be the safe option, he’s 36 years old and may not be able to start all 17 games next season like he has the last two years.
Duggan mentioned Kevin Zeitler, but he’s also 36. Are the only viable options for the Giants’ grizzled veterans?
Maybe. But that shouldn’t prevent them from making an experienced signing while also planning for the future.
Giants Can Make Do With the Best of Both Worlds
The most likely scenario for the New York Giants is to reel in one of those veterans on a one-year contract, such as Van Roten and Zeitler, and address right guard in the long term with a draft pick.
The No. 5 overall pick may be a bit rich for the available offensive linemen in the upcoming draft class, but their second-round pick, No. 37, could be the sweet spot to land their interior lineman of the future.
Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane won’t be available. He’s a surefire first-round pick and may even end up going in the top-16. But prospects such as Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis and Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon will be ripe for the taking at the top of the second.
New York’s best course of action is to sign one of those veterans to a one-year deal and draft his replacement to sit and learn for the 2026 season.
That way, they have an insurance policy in case of injury, and won’t risk a bad offensive line costing them games in John Harbaugh’s first season at the helm.