andrew thomas

Perennial Pro Bowl offensive lineman says Giants’ Andrew Thomas was ‘most risky’ in draft

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

Technique can oftentimes be the difference maker between a bad and good offensive lineman. For the New York Giants, they are experiencing those woes with fourth overall pick Andrew Thomas this season.

The rookie entered the NFL with more refined talent and heightened expectations, but he hasn’t been able to live up to those so far. His technique has completely gone out the window, as many analysts have pointed out over the past few weeks. The player he once was a Georgia no longer exists, and whatever the Giants are doing behind the scenes to correct these problems simply isn’t working.

Thomas was known for his dominant style of play in the run game, and he’s gradually improved in that category over seven weeks. Still, his pass blocking continues to be problematic, as he graded out with a 32.5 against the Philadelphia Eagles in week seven. He has an average 43.8 overall pass grade, according to PFF.

A simple disconnect between his feet and hands are a primary source behind his issues, as well as over-shooting his assignments, as offensive line coach Marc Colombo noted several weeks ago.

Thomas is jumping out of his stance and not cradling his opponent and mirroring their tactics. He’s shooting his hands like a machine gun and not corralling, as he once did with Georgia. Developing these bad habits has shown on game tape, and Colombo is aware that the young tackle is struggling immensely, and these problems need to be corrected.

One former player believes the New York Giants took a big risk with Thomas:

“Andrew Thomas was the most risky,” perennial Pro Bowl OL Joe Thomas told the New York Post. “With an offensive lineman’s eye, you look at him right away and say, ‘He has a lot of room to grow, and he needs a ton of work and reps.’ [Others] were basing it on accolades not game film, playing in the SEC and tons of starts. He checked a lot of the boxes that typically have not failed for offensive tackles, but then you watch the tape and clearly see biomechanically he doesn’t match up to those other guys.”

It is clear that Thomas didn’t pass the eye test for many former pros, but he represented fantastic upside, which is why the Giants took a stab at him. The problem is, taking a stab at the fourth overall pick is simply unacceptable.

“When I watched Andrew, I saw a guy with a lot of potential — great athlete, big, strong, fast, moves extremely well, all the things that get you to be a top-15 draft pick as an offensive tackle,” Joe said. “But he was the least natural from a technique standpoint. If you watch offensive linemen, when they get in a bad position — because they eventually will — can they recover? That was the big thing that concerned me with Andrew.”

Joe Thomas hits on a few of the reasons people were so high on the Georgia stand out. His athletic ability is premium and something to build around for solid coaches. He is far from being called a bust, and the Giants have time to continue developing him and working his way out of these weaknesses. However, Thomas’ inability to recover in pass blocking has been a crisis, and getting beat inside is a cardinal sin for lineman — something he has struggled with.

“He gets his shoulder pads way out over his toes a lot,” Joe Thomas said. “You see him bending at his waist. He’s got to learn to be an ankle- and a knee-bender, which takes time. He leaned on guys a lot. You could see the quickness in his feet, but he wasn’t natural in reacting to the defense. You get away with a lot of that playing in college when you are a bigger, stronger, more athletic version of the guy you are going against.”

It is clear that teams target Thomas on passing plays, exploiting his weaknesses that are showing up on film. This seems to be hurting his progression and forcing him back into old habits on a weekly basis.

Honestly, giving third-round pick Matt Peart a chance and sitting Thomas for a few weeks to develop his technique and give him some cushion might be a solid idea.

New York Giants staff plans to keep working with Andrew Thomas

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants don’t have a great recent history with taking tackles in the top 10, and current first round pick Andrew Thomas is worrying fans for one big reason – there’s a real chance that he turns out to be the second coming of Ereck Flowers.

Taking Flowers in the top 10 was one of the bigger Giants draft mistakes in recent memory, if not the biggest. He picked up a reputation for being a turnstile for opposing defenses, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that many Giants fans were left traumatized from watching Flowers block for Eli Manning. To make matters worse, other teams were able to get nominally more production out of Flowers after he left the team, making the coaching staff on the Giants look worse for failing to do the same.

So it’s not surprising that Andrew Thomas has worried fans plenty with his start to the season. At first, the struggles were pretty reasonable. The Giants faced some tough defenses, such as the Steelers in the opener. But Thomas hasn’t picked up the performances even when playing against lesser ranked defenses.

Still, the coaching staff is sticking with Thomas for now. Granted, they don’t have many options. The team is in a bad enough spot without the head coach trashing the top draft pick in the media.

Joe Judge stands by Andrew Thomas

When Joe Judge spoke about Thomas on Friday, he was positive about his future outlook.

“Andrew’s a good guy to build with. We have a lot of plans long-term with Andrew. He’s the kind of guy we want to work with, both physically and his personality off the field. We have a lot of confidence in Andrew. We’re going to keep working with him and developing him going forward. I fully expect Andrew to have a very productive, long career in this league. We enjoy him being a Giant,” Judge said.

It’s perhaps the ‘correct’ answer in this case. The one that avoids controversy. With that being said, answers like this are going to be harder to justify if Thomas doesn’t step his game up. After all, Giants fans are pretty familiar with Ereck Flowers. They know just what it looks like when a highly picked tackle pans out as a bust.

Giants’ Marc Colombo opens up about Andrew Thomas’ struggles

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The weakest link for the New York Giants has been their offensive line through five weeks, which has consistently struggled to maintain their continuity in run blocking and pass blocking.

Against the Dallas Cowboys in week five, left tackle Andrew Thomas and right tackle Cameron Fleming allowed 18 total pressures. Aldon Smith and Demarcus Lawrence had their way with the Giants‘ tackles, but that hasn’t been a surprise this year.

Thomas, who is selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, has been a liability on Daniel Jones’s blindside this year.

While Thomas actually had his best grade through five weeks against Dallas, according to PFF Elite (subscription needed), his pass-blocking grade was the worst it has ever been. Prior to the matchup, his worst grade was a 51.5 against the San Francisco 49ers in week three. Against the Cowboys, Thomas fell all the way to 31.7. However, he even out his scoring with a solid run-blocking grade of 73.6.

Through five weeks, he has allowed 4.0 sacks, three quarterback hits, 21 hurries, and 28 pressures. While he hasn’t given up a penalty, showing the discipline in that category, he has been below average in every other section.

While the rookie tackle has struggled, offensive line coach, Marc Colombo has provided some insight into his issues. He stated that Thomas has been “overshooting his target,” which is what we saw against Demarcus Lawrence on the fumble return for a touchdown in the first half.

Colombo stated further in regard to Andrew Thomas:

“Andrew’s capable of being a dominating left tackle in the NFL.” 
I tend to agree with Colombo that Thomas can be a dominant left tackle in the NFL. However, early on in his career, Thomas has shown regression, even from a collegiate standpoint.
His technical abilities are a mess, and he has minimal chemistry and linkage between his feet and hands. His base seems to be off frequently as his feet are too close together on speed rushes. Of course, a lot of his development depends on experience, which is what he is receiving this year. Considering the lack of a preseason, Thomas is well behind where he should be, and the quality pass rushers he’s been forced to face has presented a significant challenge.
All we are hoping for is gradual improvement, and Thomas has seen that in his run blocking. However, his pass blocking continues to stagnate, which is something that Colombo is undoubtedly focused on.

New York Giants need more from rookie OT Andrew Thomas

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants‘ offensive line has struggled as the team has fallen to 0-5 to start the 2020 NFL season. Second-year quarterback Daniel Jones has been under constant pressure behind the Giants’ “rebuilt” offensive line. New York invested plenty of assets into its offensive line in the 2020 NFL offseason, but so far, these investments have not exactly paid off.

The biggest investment that the Giants made into their offensive line came in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. With the fourth overall pick in the draft, the New York Giants selected left tackle Andrew Thomas. Through the first five weeks of his rookie season, Thomas has struggled immensely and has not lived up to his first-round expectations.

Andrew Thomas’s Struggles

Through the first five weeks of the 2020 NFL season, Andrew Thomas has looked like a disappointing draft pick. He has had some moments of solid play, but overall, Thomas has been disappointing.

According to Pro Football Focus, Andrew Thomas allowed 9 pressures against the Cowboys in Week Five. Through five weeks, Thomas has been charged with four sacks, 28 pressures, and three hits allowed.

Why Andrew Thomas Should Fine

Andrew Thomas is young. He is a rookie. He is still learning how to play professional football. At only 21 years old, Andrew Thomas has plenty of time to grow. He was not drafted fourth overall to solve an instant need for the Giants. Thomas was drafted to be the team’s left tackle for, hopefully, a decade or more.

So while Andrew Thomas’s rookie season has gotten off to a really poor start, he has plenty of time to turn things around.

New York Giants: Rookie OT Andrew Thomas suffering from growing pains

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants made it a point of emphasis this offseason to rebuild their offensive line. The Giants drafted three offensive linemen, signed a new offensive tackle in free agency, and gave Nick Gates a contract extension. The biggest investment of all of these being the Giants’ first-round draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

With the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected left tackle Andrew Thomas. Andrew Thomas was an excellent offensive tackle prospect out of Georgia. He was the top offensive tackle on Pro Football Focus’s draft board, but most draft boards had varying rankings on the draft’s top four offensive tackles.

Four games into the fourth pick’s career, and Giants fans are beginning to feel underwhelmed. For the other teams that selected an offensive tackle in the first round (the Jets, Browns, Dolphins, and Buccaneers), their rookie tackles have all met or exceeded expectations. Andrew Thomas has been struggling with growing pains and failing to meet expectations through the first quarter of the 2020 NFL season.

Andrew Thomas Growing Pains

According to Pro Football Focus, Andrew Thomas has allowed 3 sacks this season, tied for the most in the NFL amongst offensive tackles. His overall grade is also a 53.7, which is the worst of the top-four tackles from his draft class.

In yesterday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Thomas allowed four total pressures from 32 pass-blocking snaps, with one of them resulting in a sack (PFF). Head coach Joe Judge also recognized Andrew Thomas’s struggles:

“He’s been baptized by fire. … We’re not going to write him a pass for being a young guy or for being a rookie.” – Joe Judge on Andrew Thomas via Art Stapleton

Andrew Thomas truly has been baptized by fire, as Judge said. He has faced some serious competition to begin his career. Judge continued on, saying he has seen a lot of positives from Andrew Thomas as well.

All in all, it has been a somewhat disappointing start to Andrew Thomas’s career. But, this is a long season, and Thomas has another twelve weeks to turn it around. Additionally, a draft pick is not made to serve a one-year purpose. Andrew Thomas is destined to be the Giants’ left tackle for the next decade- he was a long-term investment. He has time to turn things around and prove he has the makings of a franchise left tackle.

New York Giants: Andrew Thomas speaks on the start of his NFL career

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants took a gamble by choosing Andrew Thomas. The team needed an offensive lineman, but Thomas wasn’t the highest rated out of the prospects available at the time. The move seemed to surprise many experts and broke some predictions. But the Thomas pick was generally well received, and we’ve now gotten a chance to see Thomas in action for a pair of games after the Giants’ week one and two performances.

Thomas spoke about this experience on Friday, going into the week three matchup with the 49ers.

Specifically, he gave some insight on the things he learned early on from two games played so far in the NFL.

“You have to be very specific in your technique every play. You can’t get lulled to sleep. You can’t revert to old habits. You have to make sure you have the same technique. The biggest thing for me is having different types of sets, different types of approaches to guys. If you do the same thing over and over, they will adjust to it. Being able to switch up your technique,” Thomas told reporters.

As it stands, the Giants are one of the worst teams in the league in keeping pressure off their quarterback. It was one of the big factors in the Steelers running over the team in their opener, and the close result against the Bears may have gone differently with a good offensive line. As for Thomas, there’s mixed reviews – but much of the problems are understandable given how little experience Thomas has overall.

And when Thomas has looked good, it’s been against quality competition so far.

“I knew all those guys are very talented,” Thomas said about the rushers he’s faced in the opening weeks of the season. “That’s the beauty of the NFL, it’s every week, you’re going against the best. Especially playing left tackle. Some of the best pass rushers in the world, so I have to be prepared every week. It was a great start going against some guys like that.”

Nick Bosa and Soloman Thomas are out for the year for the 49ers, it seems, which means Thomas catches something of a break against San Francisco. But that’s not to say the game will be easy. Thomas is still a rookie in the NFL, after all. And the 49ers in general are in a better spot than the Giants, having defeated the Jets at this very same stadium in their most recent game.

Improvement from Thomas, or not, though, the Giants certainly need a win in week 3. A victory there would go a long way in putting off fears of this season being just like the previous ones.

Giants’ Marc Colombo says ‘there’s a lot of room for improvement’ regarding Andrew Thomas

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants haven’t had an easy start to their 2020 season, especially rookie tackle Andrew Thomas, who has faced off against some of the best pass rushers in the NFL. Coming out of Georgia, Thomas was known as a solid pass protector with run blocking potential. He faced off against Bud Dupree in week one against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Khalil Mack in week two against the Chicago Bears.

Both represent some of the best pass rushers in the league, and Thomas held his own for the most part despite an overall 56 grade by PFF. He has only allowed one sack against those two behemoth players, so it is fair to say that Thomas has played up to his potential, so far.

“He’s gone against two great pass rushers and he’s held his own for the most part,” Colombo said. “There’s a lot of room for improvement and Andrew knows this. It’s really good for him to get these type of pass rushers right off the bat because his whole career is going to be these type of pass rushers. He’s capable of shutting down anyone he wants to. We just have to keep pushing the fundamentals with him, but I like where he’s headed.”

The New York Giants should feel good about Andrew Thomas:

Ultimately, playing against the best will make you the best. Easing your way into the NFL with lackluster opposition does not spur development. Holding your own against players like Mack and Dupree is impressive, especially at just 21 years old. The former Georgia stand out is extremely young and has a ton of potential in his future. While he isn’t the highest-rated rookie tackle through two weeks, he has done more against some of the best pass rushers in the league than any of the first-round tackles drafted this year.

It‘s important to note that the Giants rebuilt their offensive line again this year, inserting Thomas, Nick Gates, and Cameron Fleming at new positions. Understanding their schematics and communication between each other was always going to take time. Thomas has done a good job considering the factors working against him. He improved in week two, which is all we wanted to see after a tough week one performance against Pittsburgh. Of course, there are snaps that he will want back, specifically in the run game, but his pass blocking was solid for the most part.

In week two against the Bears, Thomas held his own against Mack but was pushed around by DL Robert Quinn. Chicago’s interior players did some damage on Thomas, exposing him in the run game routinely. Nonetheless, the experience he has gained facing off against such quality players will only help him in the long term. It is important to remember that the Giants are still rebuilding, and things will be different in 2021.

New York Giants: Offensive line showing no signs of improvement in 2020

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New York Giants, Will Hernandez

The New York Giants have had issues across their offensive line for years now. Entering the 2020 NFL season, the expectations were set higher for the Giants’ front line. New York invested heavily in their offensive line and upgraded the positional unit’s coach. But so far, these improvements have not shown up on the field.

The Giants have gone up against two of the NFL’s best front-sevens in the first two weeks of the season. New York’s new offensive line has been given two extremely tough tasks to kickoff 2020. But the Giants’ “new & improved” line has not handled these tasks well at all.

A Disappointing First Two Weeks

The New York Giants’ offensive line has surrendered an insane amount of pressure in 2020. Through two games, the Giants have allowed 56 pressures, the second-highest total in the NFL (according to Pro Football Focus). According to Football Outsiders, New York has also let up 7 sacks in two games, the second-highest total in the NFL.

Though Andrew Thomas has held his own against two of the best defenses in the NFL, he has still struggled through the first two weeks of the season. He is currently the lowest-graded of the top four offensive tackles from the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft class.

But the rest of the offensive line has struggled along with Thomas. If the Giants’ offensive line is going to make a turnaround, Week Three is the time to do it.

A Week Three Turnaround?

Originally, the Giants were scheduled to go against another dominant defense in Week Three of the 2020 NFL season. This week, the Giants will host the San Fransisco 49ers at MetLife Stadium. Andrew Thomas and the Giants’ line was projected to face off against the likes of Nick Bosa, Solomon Thomas, and Dee Ford. In reality, the Giants will face none of these talented defenders.

The 49ers were hit with the injury bug in a major way last week. Across the NFL, injuries were abundant. The Giants lost 2018 second-overall pick, Saquon Barkley, to a torn ACL in Week Two. The 49ers lost their 2019 second-overall pick, Nick Bosa, to a torn ACL as well in Week Two.

Solomon Thomas is another talented player on the 49ers’ defensive line. He also suffered a season-ending injury in Week Two. Dee Ford is also injured and out for Week Two, but fortunately, he will not be sidelined for the entire season.

The Giants will not have to face any of the 49ers’ top three defensive linemen in Week Two. San Fransisco signed veteran defensive end Ezekiel Ansah to help fill one of these holes. But overall, the Giants’ offensive line is fortunately not going to be completely overmatched like they have been the last two weeks.

Struggling against the Steelers’ and Bears’ front-sevens is understandable. But against this depleted and injury-riddled San Fransisco defense, the Giants should be able to turn things around. New York’s offensive line will be left with no excuses in Week Three. They need to step up and play a solid match against the 49ers to turn things around.

New York Giants: Andrew Thomas vs Khalil Mack A Key Matchup To Watch In Week Two

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants‘ offensive line struggled mightily in Week One. According to Pro Football Focus, the Giants’ offensive line allowed pressure on 52.1% of the team’s pass plays against the Steelers last week. This week, New York has to face one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL.

Khalil Mack is coming off of an impressive Week One performance that saw him record 6 total pressures. Mack, the three-time First-Team All-Pro, will be lining up against rookie left tackle Andrew Thomas this weekend. Thomas played well in Week One against a fierce Steelers defense. But this week’s matchup will be a true test for the rookie.

Mack v Thomas

Rookie left tackle Andrew Thomas made his debut in Blue against one of the best defenses in the league last week. Thomas’s primary task was blocking Bud Dupree. This was a challenge, but Thomas held his own and looked like the best offensive lineman on the Giants in Week One.

In Week Two, Thomas has an even more challenging task at hand. The rookie out of Georgia will be blocking one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL this week. Khalil Mack will likely be Thomas’s toughest blocking assignment of the 2020 season.

Granted, Thomas will not be blocking Mack the entire game. Khalil played 60% of his snaps lined up over the right tackle last week. But the Bears like to move their star pass-rusher around and get the best matchups possible. They will undoubtedly face him off with Andrew Thomas to test the rookie.

Opposite of Khalil Mack, the Bears have another talented pass-rusher. Robert Quinn, coming off of an 11.5 sack 2019 season with the Cowboys, is now a member of the Bears’ defense. Quinn did not play in Week One, though, and he is questionable to play this week. If he does, this matchup will be even more challenging for Andrew Thomas.

New York Giants: Rookie Offensive Tackles Cross Training In Practice

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The New York Giants drafted two offensive tackles in the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. Big Blue selected Andrew Thomas out of Georgia with the fourth overall pick in the first round. They then followed that up with Matt Peart out of UConn in the third round.

Thomas is a polished prospect who will be prepared to start day one for the Giants. Peart, on the other hand, might need to take some time to develop. The ninety-ninth overall selection in the draft is not likely to be a week one starter on the Giants’ offensive line this season.

Andrew Thomas will be a week one starter, presumably. The question with Thomas now, is, where will he start on the offensive line? Will he be the team’s left tackle or right tackle?

Where Will Andrew Thomas Line Up?

After 2019’s starting offensive tackle Nate Solder opted out of the 2020 season, it seemed likely that Andrew Thomas would step into the starting left tackle position. But there were some fans advocating for Thomas to play right tackle, instead, even before and after Solder opted out.

This line of thinking pencils Thomas in as the team’s left tackle for the foreseeable future, while planning to move ahead with Matt Peart as the team’s right tackle down the road. But after the Giants’ recent practices, this scenario does not seem set in stone.

While the likely scenario sees Thomas at left tackle and Peart at right tackle, there is another scenario where the two players swap positions. The Giants are preparing for this scenario, giving the offensive tackles practice reps on both sides of the line.

According to Ryan Dunleavy, Matt Peart was working at left tackle today:

Versatility on the offensive line is crucial. The Giants recognize this and are training their rookie tackles to be prepared to play on either side of the offensive line.