Jermaine Eluemunor was having the best season of his NFL career when the Giants asked him last week to change positions.
After trying two other short-lived solutions to fill injured left tackle Andrew Thomas’ shoes, the Giants finally shifted Eluemunor from right tackle to the left side on a few days’ notice.
It was a move that the versatile Eluemunor admittedly had hoped to avoid for the third straight season but ultimately accepted.
“I didn’t expect it but … I think I’m in the position I’m in because I’ve shown I can play both,” Eluemunor said. “Obviously, this season I believe I was playing right tackle at a high level. But who says I can’t do that at left tackle if I really buy into it and show not only myself but the rest of the league I can play left tackle at a high level, too, in a league that is desperate for tackles?”
Whether or not Eluemunor’s move is permanent with Thomas sidelined for the season had not been communicated to him as the Giants broke for their bye week.
It sure seems likely, however, after former first-round pick Evan Neal returned from nine weeks buried on the bench and had maybe the best game of his three-year career at right tackle Sunday against the Panthers.
The Giants previously tried plugging in Josh Ezeudu and Chris Hubbard at left tackle without disrupting Eluemunor.
“It’s more so taking it a week at a time and seeing where I’m mostly needed,” Eluemunor said. “It’s not really matchup-based. It’s just what line [configuration] gives the team the best chance to win. Left tackle is the most important position on the field. That’s where I’m needed right now, so that’s where I’ll be.”
Eluemunor spent Wednesday morning distributing 150 turkeys and other Thanksgiving fixings to families that will eat courtesy of his donation to the American Eagle Food Pantry of NNJ in Lodi.
The North Jersey product said he grew up in housing with government aid as both his parents worked.
“I’ve always wanted to give back, especially to where I grew up,” Eluemunor said. “It’s part of the job in the NFL to be part of your community and help out those in need. I understand that around this time of year it can be rough making ends meet and also put food on the table, so if I can help make one of those problems go away for a little bit and make things a little easier, that’s really cool for me.”
Eluemunor, 29, has been a stabilizing midlevel free-agent acquisition (two years, $14 million) from the Raiders.
He hasn’t missed an offensive snap all season, allowing 27 pressures and three sacks (one in his left tackle debut) on 429 pass-blocking opportunities.
“I’m trying to do everything I can here on the field and off the field to show this team I’m worth keeping around long term,” Eluemunor said. “And be one of the solutions to help turn this thing around and put us in the position we need to be in to win.”
Rookie teammate Marcellus Johnson also leant a hand to the food insecure, but the giveaway was Eluemunor’s own idea.
“I’ve dreamed about doing stuff like this my entire career,” Eluemunor said. “This is not a one-off thing for me.”