Andrew Buller-Russ
The New York Giants added seven new prospects throughout the 2026 NFL Draft, and some, like first-round picks Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa, are expected to become immediate starters. New starters mean Giants general manager Joe Schoen has more potential roster changes coming.
One could even involve trading a player that Schoen signed to a three-year, $30 million contract just two years ago.
According to The Athletic‘s Dan Duggan, Mauigoa’s arrival could lead the Giants to consider trading offensive lineman Jon Runyan Jr. Mauigoa played offensive tackle at Miami, but the Giants are expected to have him play guard instead. Duggan believes Mauigoa’s presence, along with newly signed Daniel Faalele, could make Runyan more expendable in New York’s eyes.
“An under-the-radar potential trade chip for the Giants: Left guard Jon Runyan. Odds are that Runyan will remain the left guard like he has been for the past two seasons. But with Mauigoa expected to step in at right guard, that leaves a crowd of guards to battle Runyan for his starting spot. If Harbaugh favorite Daniel Faalele impresses in training camp, his $1.3 million cap hit would represent a bargain compared to Runyan’s bloated $11.8 million cap charge. The Giants could create $9.3 million in cap savings if they cut or trade Runyan. The most likely outcome is that Runyan emerges from a pool of flawed challengers, and the Giants aren’t in position to deal away serviceable offensive linemen even if Runyan loses his starting job. But it’s something to consider, especially if money is tight around cut day.”
The Athletic on Jon Runyan Jr.
The Giants are trying to build the best team possible under John Harbaugh. If he believes Runyan is one of the team’s five best starters, then we’d expect him to stick around, even if he costs more than Faalele.
At this point, Faalele should be viewed as a low-cost insurance policy, should one of the Giants’ guards get hurt. He even has experience playing offensive tackle too. But that doesn’t mean the Giants should trade one of their prized free agency additions from two offseasons ago, even if Runyan hasn’t quite lived up to expectations (67th out of 81 guards graded by Pro Football Focus in 2025)
In the final year of his contract, the Giants could use this season to determine whether Runyan really is the right fit, or if they could get by with a less-expensive option, such as someone like Faalele.
Related: New York Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux Trade Price Revealed
