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One of the few constants of the New York Giants’ offensive line coming into this tumultuous summer is right guard Kevin Zeitler, the steady run and pass blocker they received from the Cleveland Browns in the Odell Beckham/Olivier Vernon purge last March.
Zeitler, 30, was a first round selection out of Wisconsin by the Cincinnati Bengals back in 2012, played five seasons there before moving onto Cleveland vis free agency in 2017. The five-year, $60 million deal with he Browns made Zeitler the highest-paid guard in the NFL at the time.
Although Zeitler has gotten critical raves from football insiders and pundits, he has yet to get a whiff of the Pro Bowl. That could change in 2020 with Marc Colombo, the former Dallas Cowboys O-line coach taking over the reins in New York under offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
“One year after the Olivier Vernon-for-Zeitler swap with the Browns, it appears as if the Giants got the better end of the deal,” writes Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus, who ranked Zeitler the 16th overall best interior lineman int he league. “Vernon struggled to stay healthy yet again, and Zeitler was once more one of the best guards in the NFL.
“Stretching back to the start of his career in 2012, Zeitler has been one of the best pass-blocking guards in football. His 87.5 pass-blocking grade across those eight seasons ranks eighth at the position, just behind DeCastro among qualifying guards. This past season was no different, as Zeitler ranked seventh overall at the guard position with a PFF grade of 76.4. He’s just about as reliable as they come, sticking out as a bright spot on a Giants’ offensive line that has some questions heading into the 2020 season.”
The Giants will enter the season with several new pieces on the offensive line this year. Zeitler and left guard Will Hernandez are set in stone but the two tackle spots and center are still up for grabs. The Giants used their first, third and fifth round draft choices on two tackles (Andrew Thomas and Matt Peart) and a potential center (Shane Lemieux), extended the contract of Nick Gates and signed veteran swing tackle Cam Fleming in free agency.
The hope is that this group gels into something special and very quickly. That seems like a lot to ask this year with no preseason games to experiment with and three rookies still learning the ropes.
Either way, expect the steady play and leadership of Zeitler to continue.
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