Currently, the New York Giants have the fourth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, Touchdown Wire’s most recent mock draft has the Giants trading with the Los Angeles Chargers and selecting Andrew Thomas, an OT out of Georgia.
Here, the Giants trade back and get an NFL ready offensive tackle with experience on both the right and the left sides of the line. Given his SEC pedigree, Thomas has faced some imposing pass rushers during his time in Athens, and he’ll be ready to go up against some of what the NFL has to offer. The combine might have vaulted Tristan Wirfs and Mekhi Becton up many boards, but something tells me that Gettleman will value what Thomas put on tape.
There are a couple of things about this trade, though, that warrant mentioning. First, Dave Gettleman has never traded down in his career, so this would be a first. Nothing in life is ever out of the question, and the Giants are public about being open to trading down, so it’s a definite possibility.
Should they trade down, Thomas is the most likely candidate to be picked at the sixth spot. Yes, there are other OT’s that might be considered better players and it’s likely that a few of them will be available when the Giants pick, but look at the fit. What the Giants need is an NFL-ready tackle who can protect their prized QB. And, let’s be real, the Giants’ offensive line has been really bad for several years. First it was aging players, then it was injuries.
Gettleman himself said that the most important position to help a young quarterback was the offensive line.
“I’ve found that it is hard to complete a pass when lying on your back,” Gettleman told reporters at the NFL Combine.
It’s astonishing that they’re finally recognizing the line as an area of need, and even more mind boggling that they might actually address the problem.
At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, Thomas was an immediate starter at Georgia. He started all 15 of his freshman games at right tackle before moving to the left side as a sophomore. The only games he missed in college were one game in 2018 due to an ankle injury and this year’s bowl game to prepare for the draft. He’s sturdy, he’s strong, and he can make an instant impact, which is exactly what the Giants need.
The Giants need more picks in this draft to build a team that Joe Judge can mold. Their first goal is to make sure Daniel Jones is protected and stays healthy. If they can get picks and still protect DJ at the same time, then it’s a win-win. We’ll just have to wait and see which (if any) teams step up to the plate.
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