During the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants could not race to the virtual podium quickly enough to call the name of offensive tackle Andrew Thomas out of Georgia.
The team has long been in need of a franchise left tackle, and while that may not be where Thomas begins his career, it is certainly his trajectory. And a lot is riding on it for both he and the Giants.
As a rookie in 2020, Thomas will play a significant role no matter what. If he begins his career at right tackle, he will do so as a starter. If he begins his career as a left tackle, it will again be as a starter, but will also include the figurative sacrifice of veteran Nate Solder.
Either way, Thomas is poised to make an immediate impact, which is why Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports named him one of the NFL’s six “immediate impact rookies.”
Thomas checks the two nonspecific boxes — he has good traits and he produced in college. Being 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds with lengthy 36 1/8-inch arms is prototype material, and we know from the combine he’s a high-level athlete for the offensive tackle position.
And his film was clean at Georgia, particularly in 2019, when he sharpened his footwork, which led to more balance — and fewer one-on-one losses — in pass protection. Yes, the Bulldogs were extraordinarily run-heavy during Thomas’ tenure at left tackle. Last season, as an offense, Georgia dropped back to pass 429 times and ran on 505 occasions. In 2018, the team ran the ball 548 times to just 376 drop backs. On the surface, that philosophy didn’t prepare Thomas well for the pass-happy NFL.
“On the surface” is the key aspect of that analysis.
Although Georgia didn’t pass nearly as much as they ran, Trapasso points out that Thomas was “boringly good” in pass protection and dominated at the point of attack when the Bulldogs did drop back.
However, he was boringly good in pass pro in his final season in Athens. Per Pro Football Focus’ draft guide, he allowed just nine pressures (with one sack) on 410 pass-block snaps. Despite New York’s selection of Thomas at No. 4 overall getting pegged as a big reach by many, he’s NFL-ready. Along with paving lanes for Saquon Barkley, he’ll be effective when Daniel Jones drops back to pass too. Really, it’s a just a matter of time before he takes over for Solder at left tackle.
Thomas was long considered the most pro-ready offensive tackle prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft, and while he may not have the highest ceiling of the bunch, he certainly has the highest floor — which is why he’ll make an immediate impact for Big Blue.
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