For all the talk around Jon Runyan Jr.’s future, the New York Giants never really opened the door to a left guard battle this spring. Runyan handled the first-team work whenever the media was around, with only a few reps going to Daniel Faalele at one practice.
That made the spot look settled. Training camp and the preseason could still change that.
Runyan, 29, is entering the final season of the three-year, $30 million deal he signed with the Giants. He has been a steady presence, but the production has been ordinary at best.
In two years with New York, he ranked 97th and 116th among guards in Pro Football Network Impact Score. Pro Football Focus had him 40th among 56 qualifying guards in 2024 and 41st among 57 qualifying guards in 2025.
So the bigger question isn’t whether Runyan can be replaced. It’s whether the Giants have anyone ready to do it.
Faalele looks like the most obvious candidate. John Harbaugh has made it clear what he values in linemen, and Faalele fits the mold at 6-foot-8 and 370 pounds.
Harbaugh said during mandatory minicamp, “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.”
The Ravens drafted Faalele in the fourth round in 2022, moved him from right tackle to right guard in 2024, and he started every game for them over the past two seasons. The Giants passed on bringing back Greg Van Roten, who had started at right guard for them the previous two years, and instead signed Faalele to a one-year contract.
They also drafted Sisi Mauigoa No. 10 in the 2026 NFL Draft, which left Faalele third on the depth chart. During spring work, he saw time at both guard spots, even though left guard is new territory for him.
Faalele’s time in Baltimore came with plenty of criticism from frustrated fans. Ravens fans, in the words of Baltimore Beatdown’s Nikhil Mehta, “will not miss” him, and Mehta also questioned Harbaugh’s loyalty to him.
Harbaugh, though, has defended him before. Last season, he said, “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.”
Evan Neal is another name to watch, though he looks like a longer shot. The 2022 No. 7 overall pick worked with the third team all spring. He has the size and athleticism Harbaugh likes, but Faalele still appears ahead of him.
Lucas Patrick, who has 65 starts in nine NFL seasons, seems more likely to serve as the backup center. Aaron Stinnie is another possible option, but also a long shot. Marcus Mbow and Josh Ezeudu have been working at tackle, so they do not appear to be part of the guard picture.
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