Getty A familiar face is returning to help the New York Giants' struggling offensive line.
The New York Giants haven’t wasted any time after giving up 11 sacks against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4. They’ve brought back a familiar face to help a struggling offensive line, former first-round draft pick Justin Pugh.
He’ll join the practice squad initially, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, who reported Pugh’s addition on Tuesday, October 5.
The #Giants are signing OL Justin Pugh to their practice squad, sources say. The team’s 2013 first-round pick returns to East Rutherford to join an offensive line in need of help and depth.
It’s a smart signing because Pugh can play either guard or tackle, with the only caveat being the 33-year-old’s health. Pugh is “coming off a torn ACL,” according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, who also noted how the Giants worked out Pugh following Week 2’s game against the Arizona Cardinals: “Giants liked what they saw, but were in wait-and-see mode on short week.”
Finally making the move will be welcomed by quarterback Daniel Jones, who has experienced a relentless barrage of pressure and hits in recent weeks. Injuries up front haven’t helped, particularly the absence of standout left tackle Andrew Thomas, but many of those who’ve played have struggled mightily.
Those struggles mean Pugh ought to see the field sooner rather than later during his second tour with the Giants.
Giants Need Help Everywhere Up Front
An already bruising season for Jones got tougher when the Seahawks swarmed upon him during a miserable night. The biggest indictment of the protection in front of Jones concerns how often Seattle’s defense got home on the blitz, seven times, per Next Gen Stats.
The Seahawks defense sacked Daniel Jones 10 times, including 7 sacks when blitzing, the most sacks with 5+ pass rushers by a defense since Week 15, 2018.
Devon Witherspoon, Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks all finished with 2 sacks on less than 8 blitzes.
Not being able to identify pressure and pick up rushers from all angles reveals a lack of athleticism among those in the trenches for the Giants. The problem is compounded when Big Blue’s front five is also failing to win one-on-one matchups.
Arguably the most frequent culprit is right tackle Evan Neal. The player the Giants drafted seventh overall in 2022 gave up seven pressures against the Seahawks, per Empire Sports Media’s Alex Wilson, who also highlighted when Neal was beaten by Boye Mafe for a sack.
Evan Neal on this rep 🤢
Neal’s struggles are becoming more obvious each week, but he’s not the only lineman playing below par. Thomas’ backup Joshua Ezeudu floundered all night, while right guard Marcus McKethan hasn’t been an upgrade over Mark Glowinski.
With this many blockers proving unreliable, there’s more than one spot where Pugh can offer help.
Versatility Key for Returning Giant
Pugh spent five years with the Giants after being selected with the 19th pick in the 2013 NFL draft. During his time at MetLife Stadium, Pugh played multiple spots, including left guard.
The veteran could find himself in the same position again after the Giants lost rookie center John Michael Schmitz in Week 4. Head coach Brian Daboll confirmed Schmitz injured his shoulder trying to block for Jones on a QB sneak, per Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic.
Brian Daboll says both C John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) and TE Daniel Bellinger (knee) were injured on tush push play.
Says they walk through the play but it’s not a live practice rep
A quick reshuffle can happen if Ben Bredeson shifts over the ball to cover for Schmitz’s absence. That would leave a space for Pugh to tuck inside at left guard.
Alternatively, Ezeudu, who was drafted as a guard a year ago, could move back to his natural position once Thomas returns. That would free Pugh up to replace McKethan on the other side. Pugh could even slide out to right tackle and allow Neal to move to guard, where he’s arguably better suited.
The point is the Giants have options after welcoming Pugh back into the fold. Daboll, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and O-line coach Bobby Johnson must explore every one of those options for ways to improve the situation in front of Jones.