Could the Giants use another high pick on an offensive lineman?
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The New York Giants are a team in a rebuilding phase. They’re in a better spot than many teams launching a true rebuild and already have young players with upside at most of the “cornerstone” positions.
However, they also have some decisions to make. Most notably, right tackle is one of the most pressing decisions the team will face from a personnel perspective. They have Evan Neal as an incumbent, however he’s been disappointing through the first three years of an injury-plagued career.
LSU right tackle Emery Jones Jr. could be a potential alternative if the Giants want to move on from Neal. He’s a big, powerful lineman who’s reckoned by some to be a potential first round pick.
What does he bring to the table?
Prospect: Emery Jones Jr. (50)
Games Watched: vs. South Carolina (2024), vs. Ole Miss (2024), vs. Texas A&M (2024), vs. Alabama (2024)
Red Flags: none
Measurables
Height: 6-foot-5 (unofficial)
Weight: 315 pounds (unofficial)
Strengths
Best traits: Length, foot quickness, block sustain, play strength, scheme diversity
Jones has many of the traits that the NFL looks for in an offensive tackle. He has good size at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, with long arms and he carries his weight well. Jones Jr. has good thickness in his upper and lower halves, but isn’t a lumbering athlete. He generally plays with good leverage, with good knee flexibility to lower his pad level and maximize his play strength.
He has quick, light feet allowing him to redirect easily, as well as be quick to the second level as a run blocker. Jones deals with stunts and twists well along the defensive front, doing a good job of using his hands to keep himself clean and pass off defenders. He clearly understands his role in the blocking scheme and does a good job of processing the defense. Jones keeps his head on a swivel and stays ready to pick up loopers or delayed pressure.
He’s a capable pass protector who uses his hands well to deal with speed, while also having the footwork and play strength to diffuse and anchor against power. Jones is also a diverse run blocker who can execute zone or man-gap concepts.
Jones is an experienced offensive tackle who’s played in 38 games over the last three years with 36 starts. He first became a starter as a true freshman and has held onto the job since 2022.
Weaknesses
Worst traits: Hip tightness, movement in space
Jones appears to have some stiffness in his hips. He’s fluid enough to drop his hips and play with good pad level, but he struggles to open his hips and move laterally as a pulling lineman.
It’s most notable when he’s asked to pull, and he’s forced to use a pronounced stutter step before moving. He can also have a tendency to over-protect the B-gap and be vulnerable to speed on the outside. This might be coached to avoid interior pressure while allowing a pocket into which the quarterback can climb, but it’s worth noting.Jones has good hand usage but doesn’t have particularly heavy hands, and is more content to box with defenders than deliver a jolt. He can also have a bit of a tendency to lunge when faced with speed off the edge if he’s faced with a defender in a wide alignment.
Game Tape
Projection
Jones projects as a developmental tackle prospect who should be able to win a starting job early in his career. He’ll need to iron out some issues in his pass protection, most notably with how he deals with speed off the edge. Jones has the feet to mirror and deal with speed off the edge when he commits to it, but can often be stuck over-protecting the B-gap and allowing a path into the backfield for athletic rushers.
Jones has the ability to take defenders out of the play when he gets his hands on them, but needs to work on his technique to do so more consistently.
He could be drafted at the tail end of the first round based on his traits, but would be a strong value on the second day of the draft.
Does he fit the Giants?
Potentially, if the Giants are ready to move on from Evan Neal.
Final Word: An early Day 2 value.
