For months now, there has been conversation about the idea that the New York Giants might release starting left guard Jon Runyan Jr. to open $9.25 million in salary cap space.
First-team reps at the position were eyed carefully all spring to see if a competition was indeed brewing. With the exception of a few reps for Daniel Faalele at one practice, though, Runyan took all the guard reps when media was in attendance.
That made it look like there wasn’t going to be a competition at the position. But, could there be during training camp and the preseason? Absolutely.
Runyan, 29, is a six-year veteran in the final year of a three-year, $30 million contract. He is an average to below average NFL starting guard. In his two seasons with the Giants, he has ranked 97th and 116th among guards using the Pro Football Network Impact Score. By Pro Football Focus score, he ranked 40th among 56 qualifying guards in 2024, and 41st among 57 qualifying guards in 2025.
In other words, he is replaceable.
Do the Giants want to replace him? Perhaps the better question is, do they have someone worthy of replacing him?
Daniel Faalele
Daniel Faalele
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Faalele is likely Option 1
Head coach John Harbaugh likes big, physical players.
“I think Bill Parcells said that these guys are just rare people on the planet, right? Along those lines. To me that always stuck with me when I saw that way back when,” Harbaugh said during mandatory minicamp. “They have to have -- to be successful as a football player, you have to have certain traits. So being big is a trait, being long is a trait, being athletic is a trait. Being physical, having strong hands, those are traits. Being fast is a trait. Being able to change direction, being fluid, being extremely coordinated. Some people just have a knack, you can say. Add athleticism to that as well.
“Players come in all different shapes and sizes, but they have to have traits. Toughness is a trait. Endurance is a trait. Resilience is a trait. So kind of looking for all those things, and hopefully it’s wrapped up in the best player.”
Faalele has the size at 6-foot-8, 370 pounds, as well as some of the other physical traits Harbaugh looks for. The Baltimore Ravens selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. They converted him from right tackle to right guard in 2024, and he started every game for the Ravens the past two seasons.
Rather than re-sign Greg Van Roten, who started for New York at right guard the past two seasons, the Giants signed Faalele to a one-year contract. Then, they selected Sisi Mauigoa No. 10 in the 2026 NFL Draft, making Faalele the third guard on the depth chart.
Faalele spent the spring working at both guard spots, with the left side of the offensive line being unfamiliar territory for him.
In Baltimore, Faalele often got the Evan Neal/Ereck Flowers treatment from Ravens fans frustrated by the play of the team’s offensive line.
Baltimore Beatdown’s Nikhil Mehta told Big Blue View that Ravens fans “will not miss” Faalele, and questioned Harbaugh’s loyalty to him.
Here is something Harbaugh said about Faalele last season:
“I like the fact that he’s a big, strong guy, moves his feet well. He bends. He’s getting better at using his hands. I think he’s been doing a really good job in pass protection for the most part. Run blocking has been good, but he needs to be more consistent in both areas. … He’s had some bad plays that you’re talking about, probably, that haven’t looked great, but he’s a good football player. He is getting better, and he is young. Hopefully, he’ll continue to improve.”
What about Evan Neal?
The 2022 No. 7 overall pick took reps with the third team all spring. He has the size and athleticism that Harbaugh loves, but it seems like a longshot that he would jump ahead of Faalele.
Lucas Patrick has 65 starts in a nine-year NFL career, but seems ticketed to be the backup center. Aaron Stinnie would be another longshot candidate.
Marcus Mbow and Josh Ezeudu have been playing tackle. They seem unlikely to figure in at guard.