Giants vs. Texans: Ezeudu, Kubas Names To Watch

The New York Giants will go on the road to take on the Houston Texans on Saturday, hoping to continue sorting out position battles and earn their second exhibition win in the process.

Saturday’s contest will feature several starters, including quarterback Daniel Jones, who will be seeing his first game action since tearing his ACL in Week 9 of last season. Most of the game, in traditional preseason fashion, will be played by the second- and third-stringers.

While quarterback Tommy DeVito attempts to earn his roster spot, the New York faithful should keep its eyes on the offensive line.

Two of the more important players to watch will be offensive tackle Joshua Ezeudu and guard Jake Kubas.

The two graded out well, per Pro Football Focus , in the opener, but our eye test has them trending in opposite directions. Ezeudu has struggled with pass protection throughout camp, and flashes of those woes appeared against the Detroit Lions – it was Ezeudu’s run blocking that earned him praise.

Ezeudu’s spot as one of the Giants’ roster-bound linemen seems secure, but his spot as a tackle shouldn’t be. A pivot inside would allow him to be hidden in pass protection a little more while translating his athleticism to the ground game. However, New York now has a surplus of interior linemen, putting the team in a curious spot if he struggles again on Saturday.

Let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan Jr., John Michael Schmitz, Greg Van Roten, and Jermaine Eluemunor start Week 1 from left to right. That leaves a second-team unit of Ezeudu, Kubas, Austin Schlottmann, Aaron Stinnie, and Evan Neal – if New York keeps 10 linemen.

Things get really interesting if the Giants elect to keep nine. Perhaps Schlottmann would be cut due to the surplus of interior talent above him, or Kubas would draw an unlucky hand.

But Kubas has played well this summer and is increasingly deserving of a secure spot on the 53-man roster.

Subsequently, the pressure is on Ezeudu to prove he can be a capable backup on the blindside. Kubas is pushing for a spot, and if Neal earns enough trust to be a swing tackle, Ezeudu becomes that much more expendable.

Related: DeVito, Gray Praise Giants Offensive Line After Preseason Win

Still, as an undrafted free agent, the practice squad is a realistic outcome for Kubas if he slips up late in the summer. This would allow New York to keep two tackles, a center, and a guard – arguably a more ideal setup for a shorthanded unit.

New York has good reason to feel better about its offensive line depth than it did last summer, but Saturday should help solidify the team’s plan for cutdown days.