Getty A struggling New York Giants starter's best fit is at a surprising position.
You won’t find a member of the New York Giants’ offensive line who hasn’t struggled mightily this season, but Joshua Ezeudu’s problems have stood out more than most. The third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft has been emotionally impacted by his mistakes, but surprisingly, not everybody believes those mistakes are the result of Ezeudu being played out of position.
An unnamed “NFL offensive coach” and “NFL scout” explained to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post “Ezeudu’s best position moving forward is tackle, not guard.”
The anonymous coach and scout may not find much agreement for keeping Ezeudu on the edge, despite his college experience. Left tackle is where the 24-year-old has been beaten regularly.
Ezeudu’s situation becomes tougher to decipher when the Giants chose to work him at guard during the offseason. The decision to kick him outside to cover for All-Pro Andrew Thomas has led to criticism about the Giants’ succession plans up front.
Young Giants Starter Faltering Under Pressure
Ezeudu has endured a torrid time since stepping in for Thomas, and it’s shown. The player “spent the entire postgame media availability in full uniform, sitting on his stool and staring into his locker,” following the Giants 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4, according to Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic.
Quarterback Daniel Jones was sacked 11 times by the Seahawks and took six more sacks against the Miami Dolphins in Week 5. The impact on Jones’ overwhelmed blindside protector was the same, with Carroll describing how “the pain in Ezeudu’s face was evident again.”
A pained reaction was inevitable after Ezeudu was beaten by blitzing linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, whose hit forced Jones off with a neck injury. Ezeudu’s efforts to pick up the blitz were derided by many, including “Orange and Blue Bloods” co-host EJ Stewart, who said the lineman “looked like he was stuck in quick sand.”
Josh Ezeudu looked like he was stuck in quick sand trying to block Andrew Van Ginkel on that Daniel Jones injury
It’s one of five sacks allowed by Ezeudu, who has also been guilty of committing six penalties, per Pro Football Focus. The numbers are bleak, but Ezeudu is far from alone in facing the blame game.
Personnel and Scheme Decisions Hurting Giants’ Line
Ezeudu getting the nod to replace Thomas, who has missed four games with a hamstring injury, was borne out of a poor contingency plan at left tackle. The Giants muddled thinking was summed up by Carroll: “Let’s remember, Ezeudu, the Giants’ answer at LT after Thomas went down, practiced all summer at guard, trying to earn a starting spot he didn’t win. Ahead of the season, the Giants released veteran swing tackle Tyre Phillips, with Matt Peart presumably landing that role. However, when Thomas missed time, the Giants decided Ezeudu was the best backup tackle option and threw him into the fire.”
Throwing Ezeudu in at the deep end is one of many missteps made by Giants’ coaches attempting to fix the issues up front. More than personnel, head coach Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and line coach Bobby Johnson have also failed to give their starting blockers enough help.
Running backs are being asked to deal with edge-rushers by themselves, instead of assisting a lineman as part of a double team. The lack of coordination in the blocking schemes showed up when Matt Breida was dominated by Van Ginkel, while Ezeudu slid inside.
This particular breakdown was highlighted by George Forder of SB Nation’s The Phinsider.
Watching Matt Breida in pass pro against Andrew Van Ginkel is one of the funniest things you’ll see today. #FinsUp
You can see how the Giants somehow expected the right guard to kick out and pick off Van Ginkel on the edge. It was an ambitious scheme to say the least.
Ezeudu will need a better scheme and more help if he’s still in at left tackle against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6. He’s likely to start again because Thomas was still unable to practice on Thursday, October 12, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
The Giants have been searching for external help, a search that’s led them to Yodny Cajuste, formerly of the New England Patriots and New York Jets. Cajuste will join the practice squad, per Raanan, so he won’t be ready this week.
OT Yodny Cajuste officially signed to the Giants practice squad. Former third-round pick of the Patriots. Waived by the Jets this summer.
When he is available, Cajuste will offer experience from 17 appearances and five starts in the pros. He has some pedigree at this level, but Cajuste won’t make the grade with the Giants unless he supplants one of the struggling starters.