And on the third day, the Giants addressed their offensive line.
It took until the 154th pick (fifth round) within the 2025 NFL Draft for general manager Joe Schoen to place in the cardboard for Marcus Mbow, who has experience playing guard and right tackle during his 4 years at Purdue.
He likely projects as a guard for the Giants and he adds a much-needed dose of youth and athleticism to the inside of the road.
There have been no major additions to the road in free agency this offseason, with the signings of James Hudson III and Stone Forsythe made to reinforce the depth chart at tackle.
Because it stands now, the starting guards are two returning veterans, Jon Runyan Jr. and Greg Van Roten.
In reserve, there’s Aaron Stinnie and possibly Evan Neal, the 2022 first-round pick (No. 7 overall) who has been a bust at right tackle and could possibly be headed for a position change.
Mbow was projected to go earlier, a projection he took to heart.
Friday night, he had a draft party with family and friends at his house but “things didn’t work out,’’ as he was not chosen within the second or third round.
A day later, it was a much smaller group poised for the decision that got here, eventually, from the Giants.
“It was a waiting game, but at the top of the day it doesn’t really matter,’’ a subdued-sounding Mbow said. “Just got to do what you may with the chance you’re given and go kill it.’’
Mbow, a school teammate at Purdue of Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. — taken within the fifth round last 12 months — was limited to only six games in 2023 with a leg injury but began all 12 games — at right tackle — in 2024.
That is the primary offensive lineman taken by Schoen since center John Michael Schmitz within the second round in 2023. This can be a pick that should hit, because the track record for offensive linemen shouldn’t be strong.
In 2022, along with picking Neal, the Giants also drafted Josh Ezeudu (third round) and Marcus McKethan (fifth round) and neither has done much — McKethan isn’t any longer with the Giants and currently unsigned.
Mbow said: “I feel like I’ll have the ability to succeed in any respect five positions.’’ He began working taking snaps as a middle as a part of his predraft regiment.
On the Senior Bowl, he met with the Giants and together they watched tape of him in motion.
“Going over it, seeing what I remembered, knocking people over, seeing movement, seeing athleticism,’’ he said.
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He liked the “knocking people over’’ part.
“Little doubt,’’ he said. “Putting people on the bottom, winning reps, demoralizing people. It’s all the time fun. It’s definitely a part of the rationale I like the sport.’’
