Could this New York Giants rookie swipe a starting job after his impressive Week 2 performance?

The New York Giants were in desperation mode against the Dallas Cowboys last week when it came to their left tackle position. Andrew Thomas was still sidelined while recovering from foot surgery, and James Hudson was busy committing four penalties on one drive.

That left head coach Brian Daboll but to insert fifth-round rookie Marcus Mbow into the lineup, and you know what? Mbow actually held serve. He wasn't brilliant, but he certainly did a better job than Hudson and may have earned himself more playing time for New York.

In fact, Marshall Green of Chat Sports is even campaigning for Mbow to steal a starting job even when Thomas returns, which could be as soon as this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Of course, it isn't that simple.

Obviously, Mbow is not going to start in place of Thomas, a former Second-Team All-Pro who is an absolute stalwart when he is healthy. It would also be rather pointless to move him to right tackle, as Jermaine Eluemunor has actually been very solid since arriving in New York last year.

I completely understand Green's argument of putting your five best offensive linemen on the field, and it should be noted that Mbow played guard at Purdue. So maybe there is something there?

All of that being said, there is no doubt that Mbow's showing in Week 2 was encouraging and could mean that the 22-year-old may have a place with Big Blue for the future. Could that open up a trade for someone like Eluemunor or maybe even Thomas? Perhaps.

Right now, the Giants are just trying to piece things together. Their offensive line definitely held up much better against the Cowboys than it did in the season opener against the Washington Commanders, and getting Thomas back will definitely help significantly.

Maybe it really would be a good idea to start Mbow somewhere in the trenches regardless of position. Rewarding him for his debut would be cool. But New York also has to be careful.

Now, if Thomas is unable to go against the Chiefs on Sunday night, then Mbow will be in the starting lineup anyway. But if Thomas returns, it will be interesting to see how the Giants handle things with the youngster.