Tag: Joshua Ezeudu

2022 Giants training camp preview: Offensive line

The New York Giants’ offensive line looks significantly better on paper but there may still be some depth issues.

One of the key areas New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen wanted to address when he took the job this offseason was the offensive line.

The Giants’ offense has been pitiful the past few seasons and the line has taken the brunt of the blame from the critics. That may be about to change.

With a new head coach (Brian Daboll), new offensive coordinator (Mike Kafka) and a new offensive line coach in Bobby Johnson, the approach alone should change things for the better.

Here’s a quick rundown of how the line shapes up heading into training camp.

Joshua Ezeudu signs deal with New York Giants

Former UNC football offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu has signed his deal with the New York Giants.

Former UNC football offensive lineman [autotag]Joshua Ezeudu[/autotag] was one of four players selected in the 2022 NFL draft back in April. But Ezeudu was also the first, going off the board to the New York Giants in the third round at No. 67 overall.

And now a few weeks later, he’s signed his first pro contract.

The Giants announced that they have come to terms with the third-round pick as the guard is the fifth player in their class to sign. He’s now signed as the offseason rolls on and he can continue on working to make a push to be the starter in New York.

While with UNC, Ezeudu played both guard and tackle for the Tar Heels on the offensive line but he projects out to be an interior offensive lineman at the next level. He started in 7 of the 13 games he played in as a redshirt freshman and then followed it up with 10 starts in 2020, earning third-team all-ACC honors.

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Giants sign OL Joshua Ezeudu to rookie contract

The New York Giants have signed third-round pick, guard Joshua Ezeudu, to his rookie contract.

The New York Giants moved one step closer to getting their entire 2022 NFL draft class under contract on Monday by signing offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu.

The 6-foot-4, 308-pound Ezeudu was a surprise selection in the third round back in April.

“A player we liked obviously,” Giants general manager Joe Schoen said after the selection of Ezeudu. “History of playing multiple spots on the offensive line. He’s got guard-tackle flex. Again, we’ll bring him in, I’m not sure, not going to say exactly where we’re going to start him, but we like the versatility that he can play guard, he can play tackle, compete to start probably inside, with outside flex.

“He’s impressive. It’s rare. I was fortunate enough to see him play live twice this year, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. He’s a big man, and it’s impressive. Again, he could play multiple spots not only on a week-to-week basis but within a game, within drives. So it’s very impressive, and he’s an outstanding kid. You guys will like getting to know him.”

Ezeudu has spent the early part of OTAs taking second-team reps at left guard behind the returning Shane Lemieux. And that actually bodes well for Ezeudu considering some of the other additions the Giants made at the position this offseason.

With the signing of Ezeudu, the Giants now have eight of their 11 draft picks under contract. The three who remain unsigned are wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, tight end Daniel Bellinger and safety Dane Belton.

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UNC’s Mack Brown praises two Giants draft decisions

North Carolina head coach Mack Brown thinks the New York Giants made a very smart decision by drafting two of his offensive linemen.

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The New York Giants chose not one, but two offensive linemen from the University of North Carolina in last month’s NFL draft . Those decisions drew some questions from critics about their scouting practices.

The Giants had been under fire for not dropping a wide enough net during their college scouting process and taking two players from the same institution cast some doubts if things had indeed changed.

But sometimes tapping into a good thing can, well, be a good thing. That is what veteran North Carolina head coach Mack Brown is saying about the Giants selecting two of his linemen — Joshua Ezeudu and Marcus McKethan — in this year’s draft.

“These guys, they know what they’re doing, they’re tough, they understand the game, they’re very driven,” Brown told Giants.com. “I think in the case of both of these young guys, their football is ahead of them. I really think they’re on the cutting edge of what’s next. I think the Giants were really smart in drafting both of them.”

Ezeudu was selected in the third round (67th overall) and has experience all along the line. Brown, who won a National Championship as the head coach of Texas in 2005, has also worked as a television analyst.

“Josh is really smart, and he can play anywhere. He’s very athletic,” Brown said. “We thought he was one of the best offensive linemen in the country. In fact, we wanted him to come back because we thought he could be a first or second rounder the next year. I think he’s just going to grow and grow and all of it is ahead of him. He had a sore knee at one point. He also fought through an ankle, so he’s tough. He played through all of those issues.”

Ezeudu played both guard and center at UNC and that was what attracted him to the Giants. In their scouting of him, they likely discovered the 6-foot-7, 340-pound McKethan, a punishing guard, in the fifth round.

First-year general manager Joe Schoen was excited about adding both players.

“Huge human being. Very good size, length. Again, some versatility, he’s played tackle and he’s played guard,” Schoen said of McKethan. “Again, going to add depth and competition to the roster. We’ll probably start him at guard, but he does have tackle flex.”

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Giants suddenly have quality and volume along offensive line

The New York Giants entered the offseason in desperate need of offensive linemen and now have both quality and depth.

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New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen knew coming in the door this past winter that he had a lot of work ahead of him when it came to the offensive line.

Several months and nearly a dozen personnel moves later, Schoen has addressed the Giants’ most glaring issue with both quantity and quality. The team now has loads of options along the offensive line and it should be markedly improved in 2022.

The process began with just one spot on the line chiseled in stone — left tackle — where former first round pick Andrew Thomas has developed into an asset. The other four spots were wide open after the team shed themselves of some underachieving players, while others remain on the outside looking in as they rehab from injuries.

The Giants’ depth chart was scant: Shane Lemieux, Nick Gates, Matt Peart, Ben Bredeson, Wes Martin, Korey Cunningham and Devery Hamilton.

Lemieux, Gates and Peart are all still in the throes of coming back from serious injuries. The others were brought in as replacements on the fly.

Schoen went out shopping in the low rent district and managed to pull in veteran free agents Mark Glowinski, Max Garcia, Jamil Douglas, Matt Gono and Jon Feliciano. Then, he signed the massive Roy Mbaeteka out of the NFL’s international program.

Right there he could have stopped. They could make a serviceable line out of those players but Schoen still had the draft head of him.

In the draft, Schoen got an early Christmas present when Alabama tackle Evan Neal fell into his lap at No. 7 overall on Thursday night. Neal will start Day 1 at right tackle and gives the Giants an enviable pair of bookends along with Thomas.

Later in the draft, Schoen added two North Carolina linemen in Joshua Ezeudu and Marcus McKethan. Ezeudu is noted for his versatility at both guard and tackle and McKethan is a 6-foot-7, 340-pound guard who just overwhelms defenders with his size and strength.

Now comes the hard part. Getting a starting five out of all of this volume. We know Thomas and Neal will be the tackles but who will be the other seven (or eight) who will fill out the roster.

“We’ll see once we get pads on and things like that,” head coach Brian Daboll said after the draft. “I know the guys are hard working. They are smart. They show some toughness when you watch them on tape. The people that we’ve had in the building are dependable. It’s been good to go into meetings with (offensive line coaches) Bobby (Johnson) and Tony (Sparano) and those guys. They are eager.

“Again, let’s not make it more than it is. Your job is to protect the inside part of the pocket and the width of the pocket and get moving in the running game, but that position you need five guys operating as one unit. And that is what will be really important.

“You’ll see. I know I will get a lot of questions on it once we get out in OTAs, and I’ll tell you right now, there are going to be a lot of guys mixing and matching. You can write the lineup down each day, but it’s going to change from day to day.”

With Gates’ future still uncertain, the Giants will use Feliciano at center. Glowinski was inked to a three-year deal so we expect him to be one of the starting guards. The other guard position is wide open. You can expect Lemieux, if healthy, to get a shot as well as Garcia and Douglas. You can add Ezeudu to that mix as well.

It is a refreshing change for the Giants now that their weakest unit has been turned into a major strength.

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Joshua Ezeudu’s impressive versatility has Giants in full bloom love

The New York Giants were sold on Joshua Ezeudu’s wide-ranging versatility, leaving Joe Schoen in full bloom love.

The New York Giants selected North Carolina offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu with the 67th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. It was a bit of a surprise pick for fans and followers as Ezeudu was projected to be a Day 3 selection. Even he was taken aback by the news.

“It’s very surreal,” Ezeudu said of being drafted. “You think about it so much, but until it actually happens, it kind of shocks you. I was speechless. As soon as I heard my name called, I just let it all out.”

The Giants love the 6-foot-4, 308-pound Ezeudu’s versatility as he can play both guard and tackle.

“History of playing multiple spots on the offensive line. He’s got guard-tackle flex,” Giants general manager Joe Schoen said of Ezeudu on Friday night. “We’ll bring him in — not going to say exactly where we’re going to start him, but we like the versatility that he can play guard, he can play tackle, compete to start probably inside, with outside flex.”

Ezeudu not only played multiple positions on the line at UNC, he was sometimes moved around during games, and even during drives.

“He’s impressive,” continued Schoen. “It’s rare. I was fortunate enough to see him play live twice this year, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. He’s a big man, and it’s impressive. Again, he could play multiple spots not only on a week-to-week basis but within a game, within drives. So, it’s very impressive, and he’s an outstanding kid. You guys will like getting to know him.”

The Giants now have a glut along the offensive line — a mixture of some holdovers, a few veteran free agents and now Ezeudu and first rounder, Evan Neal.

Ezeudu will get a chance to compete for a roster spot and if Schoen is right, he’ll end up being a valuable cog in the Giants’ revamped unit.

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2022 NFL Draft: New York Giants select Joshua Ezeudu

UNC Offensive Lineman Joshua Ezeudu gets The New York Giants have drafted former UNC football guard Joshua Ezeudu in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

In the third round with the 67th overall pick, the New York Giants drafted former UNC football offensive guard Joshua Ezeudu.

Ezeudu is the first UNC football player selected in this year’s draft with the Giants snagging their second offensive lineman. Ezeudu brings stability and good pass blocking to the Giants offensive line, one that has been desperately needing help to protect Daniel Jones.

Jones has been sacked 105 times in 38 games, which shows a glaring need for a boost to the offensive line. The Giants offensive line struggled in both the run and pass, ranking 30th in Pro Football Focus 2021 NFL offensive rankings.

The 6-foot-4 guard played a majority of the last three seasons, helping lead UNC to 19th ranked points per game last season (35.2) and pass blocked three consecutive seasons that eclipsed over 3000 passing yards.

It will be interesting to see how Ezeudu fairs in his new color blue.

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Giants select OL Joshua Ezeudu: 3 things to know

The New York Giants have selected Joshua Ezeudu in the 2022 NFL draft, so here are three things to know about Big Blue’s newest guard.

The New York Giants continued to fortify their offensive line by selecting North Carolina guard Joshua Ezeudu with the 67th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

Here are three things to know about the teams newest lineman.

2022 NFL draft: Giants select OL Joshua Ezeudu in Round 3

With the No. 67 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Giants select North Carolina offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu.

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With the No. 67 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Giants select North Carolina guard Joshua Ezeudu.

The 6-foot-4, 308-pound Ezeudu is a fringe developmental interior lineman the Giants can mold over time. He’ll likely begin his career as a reserve but with limited depth (largely due to injury), Ezeudu could fall into some snaps in 2022.

Ezeudu, who is a capable run blocker and could be used in jumbo packages, will need to improve his pass protection. He also brings a little added versatility as he can play tackle as well as guard.

Here is what NFL Network draft guru Lance Zierlein had to say about Ezeudu:

A guard prospect with technical kinks in need of being worked out, Ezeudu possesses the traits and athleticism to find an NFL home. Despite his impressive frame, he doesn’t play with cohesive hands and hips, which limits his power zone and could prevent him from neutralizing NFL power. He’s a more talented blocker on the move and could see a bump in consistency if an offensive line coach can get him playing with more disciplined hands. His length and tackle experience are plusses, but he’s going to allow occasional rush leakage due to soft edges. He has low-end starter potential with emergency tackle versatility.

Ezeudu joins an IOL group that currently consists of Mark Glowinski, Max Garcia, Shane Lemieux and others.

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Panthers 2022 mock draft 7.0: Our final predictions edition

Check out our final mock draft as we try to predict who the Carolina Panthers select this weekend.

We come bearing gifts for you, the Carolina Panthers faithful, here on NFL Draft Day Eve. It’s our last mock draft of the season!

So get ready to open up our final projections, as long as general manager Scott Fitterer and head coach Matt Rhule keep their picks, for the team’s 2022 draft.