Giants Country

Giants Undrafted Free Agent IOL Jake Kubas Turning Heads

IOL Jake Kubas does one thing extremely well, which makes him a good fit for the New York Giants' offense.

Patricia Traina

The New York Giants will probably look for offensive linemen to fill some helmets next year. In guard Jake Kubas, they appear to have found one promising prospect.
The New York Giants will probably look for offensive linemen to fill some helmets next year. In guard Jake Kubas, they appear to have found one promising prospect. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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Sometimes, when an undrafted rookie free agent gets to the NFL, it can take a while before things start to fall into place. But with a little bit of patience and a lot of hard work, eventually, opportunities present themselves that, if the player takes advantage of them, can lead to even more.

Just ask New York Giants rookie offensive lineman Jake Kubas about that. Kubas, who played his college ball at North Dakota State, is a 6-4 and 308-pound offensive lineman who took advantage of an extra year of eligibility (thanks to COVID-19) to fine-tune his craft. 

In doing so, Kubas earned several postseason honors, including being named to the 2023 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team, the 2023 Phil Steele FCS All-America Second Team, the 2023 FCS Football Central All-America Second Team, and the 2023 AP FCS All-America Third Team.

In allowing just 23 pressures in 1,010 career pass-blocking snaps for the Bisons, Kubas’s performance in 2023 was good enough to earn him one of Pro Football Focus’s top rankings for 2024 draft-eligible guards (79.5), which put him 23rd among 100 draftable guards in the FCS.

Despite all that, Kubas went undrafted, needing to prove he was worth a roster spot and could be an asset to an NFL team.

He’s done that with the Giants, who liked him enough to give him a $30,000 signing bonus. Inactive for 11 of the first 12 games of the season–he was active for the Week 7 game against the Eagles but did not play–Kubas finally saw his first NFL action on offense in Week 14 against the New Orleans Saints, a game in which he allowed two pressures in 26 pass blocking snaps.

But since then and with injuries piling up, Kubas, who got his first career start last week against the Atlanta Falcons when he stepped in for Aaron Stinnie (concussion) at left guard, has gotten better with each round of opportunities he’s received.

In last week’s game, Kubas allowed just one pressure, finishing as the Giants’ top-graded offensive lineman and their third-highest-graded player on offense in the loss.

“Jake was a bright spot for me,” said Giants assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

“I think seeing a young guy step in, he played physical. Sure, there were things he could get better at, plays that maybe he missed here or there. But, overall, I thought it was a big step forward for him.” 

One of the feathers in Kubas’s cap is his athleticism, where he was regularly getting out in front of a handful of screen passes, looking extremely comfortable moving in the open field, and always finding the right man to block. 

Kubas’s ability as a pulling/movement guard could potentially open up additional offensive options for the Giants if they continue to deploy him in that way.

Kubas, who initially struggled with Atlanta’s stunts, improved later in the game, both recognizing and reacting to them. He also didn’t have any trouble identifying who to run block, though, not exactly being a road grader, he didn’t get much movement on his run blocks.  

That said, Kubas wasn’t overpowered and showed the kind of hustle coaches like. With an offseason in an NFL weight training program, Kubas should be able to address any concerns with his strength/power, which would enable him to better hold up against the bigger, more athletic, and more powerful defensive linemen he will face if he becomes a regular NFL starter.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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