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There were smokescreens and rumors that the New York Giants might shock everyone by taking Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert at No. 4 overall, but they played it safe and took arguably the best offensive lineman in the draft, Georgia tackle Andrew Thomas.
Thomas was the first lineman off the board and was viewed as one of the safest picks in the entire class by many experts. He has position flexibility, having played left and right tackle at Georgia, and is as pro-ready as anyone in the draft.
For those reasons alone, the Giants nailed this pick. While the pass rush needs help, and they could’ve used Isaiah Simmons from Clemson, Thomas fills their biggest hole: the offensive line.
For years, the Giants have struggled to find consistent play up front and it’s taken a toll on the entire offense. Daniel Jones had little time in the pocket as a rookie last year and Saquon Barkley was hit in the backfield more times than he’d like.
Thomas won’t solve all of those problems on the offensive line, but his play will go a long way towards improving Jones’ play from the pocket. If Nate Solder lives up to his contract, the Giants could have bookend tackles to build around.
That’s a big “if,” though, because Solder has done anything but live up to his lucrative contract. That’s another reason the selection of Thomas makes so much sense for the Giants.
While the rookie will likely start at right tackle to begin his career, he could also compete with Solder at left tackle, and at the very least, be his successor on the left side. Few positions in the NFL are more important than left tackle, and if the Giants just found their anchor for the next five-plus years on the blindside, it’s a home run.
They’ll have time to add reinforcements to the pass rush, secondary and linebacker corps later in the draft, but finding a blue-chip talent at left tackle is impossible to do beyond the first round. This was a smart pick by the Giants for that exact reason.
The only argument that could be made against it is the fact that Tristan Wirfs was also available, and his versatility at tackle and guard is valuable. His ceiling might also be higher long-term, but Thomas should have an immediate impact and be a consistent starter for years to come.
Grade: A
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