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On paper, the New York Giants’ offensive line should be a sound unit. After all, they have the “alpha male” Nick Gates at center, the always reliable Kevin Zeitler at right guard, the Super Bowl champion Cam Fleming at right tackle and two Dave Gettleman draft picks — Andrew Thomas and Will Hernandez — on the left side.
Thomas was widely considered the most NFL-ready tackle in the 2020 draft by executives, scouts and pundits alike, while Hernandez was considered a steal in the 2018 NFL Draft.
And when the team onboarded the extremely intense Marc Colombo to coach the unit, many believed the sky was the limit.
Through five games of the regular season however, that has not been the case at all. Rather, as it’s been for nearly a decade, the Giants’ offensive line is playing well below expectations and that’s had an impact on the entire offensive unit.
Colombo has seen some improvements, but even he recognizes that the unit hasn’t gelled quickly enough.
“We’ve got to start taking leaps,” Colombo told reporters on Tuesday. “We really haven’t done that. There have been kinda baby steps, and that’s something we’re gonna have to fix.”
Thomas, perhaps more than any other offensive lineman, needs to start taking those leaps. He’s been a weak point all season and has fallen well behind his offensive tackle draft mates.
Still, Colombo has seen enough to believe that Thomas can eventually dominate at the NFL level.
“Andrew’s capable of being a dominating left tackle in the NFL. I truly believe that. He’s gone against some really good competition. He’s done well at times and he’s had times where not so much,” Colombo said.
Considering Thomas has surrendered three QB hits, four sacks and an unbelievable 28 pressures through five weeks, Colombo’s stance may be a bit too kind.
But whatever the excuses may be, the O-line needs to head Colombo’s plea. Jobs are on the line and futures are in jeopardy — this unit must start making some leaps or there will be dire consequences.
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