The New York Giants can do little to please anyone these days, so it should come as no surprise that the selection of Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas in Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft was met with mixed reviews.
Although NFL executives, scouts and coaches have long maintained that Thomas was OT1 entering the draft, several media experts and a gaggle of armchair general manager disagreed.
Luckily, our friend Luke Easterling over at Draft Wire is not one of those people and slapped the Giants with a B+ grade for the pick.
Another team that probably wanted to move back a few picks, especially given the amount of talented offensive tackles on the board, but this pick makes perfect sense.
Thomas is the most polished, pro-ready tackle in this year’s loaded class, and his experience at left tackle against top competition in the SEC means he’s battle-tested and ready to face NFL defenders.
There were flashier options for the Giants here, even at the same position, but Thomas is as close to a safe pick as you’ll find in this draft. Dave Gettleman gets his man to protect last year’s top pick, quarterback Daniel Jones.
GRADE: B+
That about sums it up.
The Giants got the most pro-ready player at a position they desperately need. Some may knock it, but that’s merely a product of outrage culture and doesn’t accurately represent how solid a choice this actually was.
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