For the first time in a while, the Giants can look at their offensive line and feel a little less panic.
That alone is newsworthy in New York. Over the last four seasons, no team has given up more sacks than the Giants, and the gap has been ugly.
Since 2022, Giants quarterbacks have been sacked 230 times. The next-closest team, the Chicago Bears, has allowed 200.
That kind of pressure can wreck everything around it. It’s the sort of issue that turns promising plans into weekly damage control. But heading into the 2026 season, the Giants may have finally done enough to stop living on that edge.
The biggest reason is rookie guard Francis Mauigoa. New York used the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Mauigoa, getting that selection from the Cincinnati Bengals in the Dexter Lawrence trade. He’s the only major addition to the line, but he changes the feel of the group immediately.
The rest of the starting five is back, which gives the Giants some continuity they haven’t had in the trenches. This still isn’t an elite line.
Pro Football Focus placed the unit 23rd in the league, and that sounds about right based on the overall talent. Even so, average would be a major upgrade for a team that has spent years trying to survive up front.
Andrew Thomas remains one of the biggest swing pieces. The former All-Pro left tackle has missed at least four games in each of the last four seasons, and the Giants need him available if this offense is going to reach its ceiling.
Mauigoa should help right away on the interior. He’s a rookie, so nobody should be expecting him to take over the league from day one, but he should be an improvement over Greg Van Roten, who was New York’s primary starting right guard last season. Mauigoa has also put together a strong preseason, and the expectation is that he’ll keep getting better as the year moves along.
The other interior spots still come with questions. Center John Michael Schmitz Jr. and left guard Jon Runyan are not exactly finished products, and the Giants will need the rest of the line to help mask those flaws.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart has his part to play, too. If the sack numbers are going to come down, he has to get the ball out faster. But the protection in front of him should be better than it was a year ago, and that gives the Giants a better shot at the kind of breakout season fans are waiting for.
At the very least, this shouldn’t be the line that drags everything down anymore.
In Other News...
Giants Suddenly Have A Receiver Decision They Can't Play Safe
Calvin Austin IIIs season-ending ACL injury changed the Giants receiver picture in a hurry, creating a hole the staff can no longer cover by simply spreading snaps around and hoping for the best. With depth suddenly under pressure, the team now has to decide how to replace Austins work in a way that helps the offense in the short term while still giving it a real chance to learn something about the players behind him.
Malachi Fields has pushed his way into that conversation after a strong preseason, and the next step may be less about easing him in than about giving him a clearer lane to show what he can handle. The Giants have reason to be cautious with a young receiver group, but this is also the kind of opening that can force a more honest evaluation of who belongs in a larger role. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Need More Than Familiarity From Darnell Mooney Now
Darnell Mooneys path into the Giants offense comes with a built-in advantage, at least on paper. General manager Joe Schoen pointed to Mooneys productive years under Matt Nagy, noting that the receiver already knows the system and could be able to help after Calvin Austin IIIs injury opened the door for more competition at the position.
The Giants, though, still have to find out whether that familiarity turns into something useful on game day. Mooney is on the active roster and is expected to compete for playing time, but the real question is whether his past with Nagy can translate into meaningful contributions in this offense, where experience is only part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Darnell Mooney Suddenly Has A Giants Chance He Can't Waste
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The fit is not entirely new for him, either. Mooney has played in the slot before under offensive coordinator Matt Nagy during their time together in Chicago, so the Giants are not asking him to learn everything from scratch. Even after a quiet preseason and some early uncertainty about his roster spot, the teams depleted wide receiver group should give him opportunities this season, which is why this chance feels so significant. [Read more 🡒]