Kevin Zeitler

New York Giants: Potential Cut Candidates To Free Up Cap Space Next Offseason

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New York Giants, Nate Solder

The New York Giants entered the 2020 free agency period with a ton of cap space. The team had around $80 million to spend. And spend it they did. After free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft, the Giants are down to having less than $10 million in cap space for the upcoming season.

So what will the Giants do in 2021? Will they have enough cap space to upgrade their team and resign the likes of Saquon Barkley and others? The Giants are projected to have around $45 million in cap space next offseason. But they could make some cuts to free up even more cap space (stats via Spotrac).

2021 Cut Candidates

Nate Solder

The first and most obvious cut candidate for the Giants’ next offseason is Nate Solder. Solder was a player that some considered to be a cut candidate heading into this offseason. Ultimately, it looks as though the Giants plan on keeping the veteran offensive tackle around for at least another year. But if his play continues to disappoint, cutting Nate Solder in 2021 is a no-brainer. Solder is due to account for 9.81% of the team’s 2021 cap space with a cap hit of $20.5 million. Luckily for New York, Nate Solder’s dead cap is only $6.5 million next year, meaning they can save $14 million if they cut him.

Golden Tate

The Giants could also look to cut Golden Tate. Tate signed with the Giants just last offseason, but his stay in the New York/New Jersey area could be short. Tate is another player who carries a high cap hit next season and might not be living up to his salary (one could argue it either way). Golden’s cap hit in 2021 is at $11 million and his dead cap hit is only $5 million. If Tate’s age catches up with him or he fails to impress for any other reason, the Giants could save $6 million in cap space by cutting him after the 2020 season.

Kevin Zeitler

Another, more surprising name on the offensive line could appear as a cut candidate. The Giants’ best offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler’s contract is structured in a way that makes it very easy to move on from him after this season. That doesn’t mean they should move on from him, but if for some reason Zeitler’s performance bottoms out in 2020, the team could free up a whopping $12.5 million by cutting him. Zeitler’s cap hit in 2021 will be $14.5 million with a dead cap hit of only $2.5 million. Zeitler is only 30 years old, so he could end up getting a second contract with the Giants. But if the team does not consider him to be part of their future plans, they could move on from the former Cleveland Brown after this season.

Projecting What The New York Giants’ Offensive Line Of The Future Will Look Like

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The New York Giants completely rebuilt their offensive line in the 2020 NFL offseason. The team hired Marc Colombo to coach the position group after years of success coaching the Dallas Cowboys’ line. They then signed OT Cameron Fleming as a stop-gat right tackle for the 2020 NFL season. After that, the Giants invested heavily in their future offensive line, spending three draft picks on the line in the 2020 NFL Draft.

New York surprised fans by selecting stud left tackle Andrew Thomas with the fourth pick in the NFL Draft. They then drafted two more offensive linemen in the later round of the draft. But those later picks are not expected to start in 2020. Those selections were made with the long-term in mind. But what does that long-term plan look like? In this article, I will project the future of the New York Giants’ offensive line.

What Does The Line Look Like Now?

  • LT – Nate Solder
  • LG – Will Hernandez
  • C – Spencer Pulley
  • RG – Kevin Zeitler
  • RT – Andrew Thomas

The rookie offensive tackle Andrew Thomas is going to be in the starting lineup. The question is, on which side of the line will he play? Will they put Andrew Thomas in at left tackle immediately, or leave Nate Solder in the position he already holds? Solder has admitted he is fine with a position switch, so the two tackle positions could be swapped between now and August. But, if I had to guess, the Giants will likely place Thomas on the right side of the line to start his career, then switch him to the left side once Solder’s contract is off the books.

Will Hernandez was the Giants’ second-round pick in 2018 and has looked the part so far. He did take a slight step backward in 2019, but that could have been caused by a multitude of confounding variables, such as an incompetent coaching staff. Entering his third season with a new, talented offensive line coach in Marc Colombo bodes well for Hernandez’s future at guard for the Giants.

The center position is a glaring weakness on the Giants’ roster. There will be a three-way competition for the starting job in 2020. As a default, though, I plugged Spencer Pulley in at the starting center position. He is the only player on the roster with long-term starting experience at the position and is also the only true center on the roster. He has a good chance of winning the competition because of that.

Kevin Zeitler will man the right guard position again. Zeitler is a rock at that position and is as reliable as it gets. He is easily the best offensive lineman on the Giants at the moment and will continue to be in 2020.

What Will The Offensive Line Look Like In The Future?

  • LT – Andrew Thomas
  • LG – Will Hernandez
  • C – Shane Lemieux
  • RG – Nick Gates
  • RT – Matt Peart

As crazy as it may sound, I genuinely believe Dave Gettleman and the Giants managed to find three future starting offensive linemen in the 2020 NFL Draft class. Andrew Thomas, at a minimum, will be a solid left tackle for years. He is technically sound, played against top-tier collegiate talent, and dominated through all his years at Georgia. The Giants locked down their most important offensive line position for years when they selected Andrew Thomas fourth overall.

On the opposite side of the line, Matt Peart, out of UCONN, was an extraordinary pick at 99 overall in 2020. He will not be ready to start day one, but after some time developing behind the scenes with Marc Colombo, fixing some flaws he possesses, and adding much-needed strength/muscle mass, Peart has the tools to be a starting right tackle in the NFL. He is athletic with very agile feet and already has solid technique. Just a bit of grooming, and he can make an impact as early as next season.

Kevin Zeitler is the best player on the Giants’ offensive line at the moment. But the thirty-year-old guard is only under contract through 2021 and could be pushed out the door sooner than later by the youthful inexpensive options already on the Giants’ roster. Thirty is still relatively young for an offensive lineman, so maybe he sticks around for a second contract with New York, but eventually, he will go, and I think there is a good chance his replacement is already on the roster.

Zeitler’s replacement could be Nick Gates or Shane Lemieux. At the future right guard position, I placed Nick Gates. Nick Gates and Shane Lemieux could end up switching positions, though, with both players being natural guards training to compete for the center position. But I think Gates’s NFL experience at the right guard position gives him the edge. Lemieux is a high-IQ mauler, though, and already understands the importance of positional versatility and will be prepared to move to center if he must.

When looking at the potential of the future offensive line, one trait stands out in particular: youth. These are all young, growing offensive linemen with high ceilings and plenty of work to do to reach their maximum potential. The future of the Giants’ offensive line is in great shape after the 2020 NFL Draft.

The New York Giants Need To See Improvement From Expensive Offensive Line

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New York Giants, Nate Solder, Jon Halapio, Mike Remmers

The New York Giants mostly neglected the offensive line in free agency this offseason. They did not involve themselves in negotiations with any of the top offensive tackles on the market like some predicted they would. Instead, New York signed Cameron Fleming to a cheap one-year deal.

This could be the Giants setting themselves up to draft an offensive tackle in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Or it could be that the front office is looking to make more fiscally responsible decisions. The Giants have already invested much money into their offensive line.

23.5% Of The Salary Cap

Believe it or not, the Giants’ most expensive position group is the offensive line. New York has invested $40 million into the offensive trenches, which accounts for 23.5% of the team’s salary (according to NFL on YouTube). The bulk of this expense is divided between two players.

Nate Solder accounts for nearly half of the offensive line’s salary with a 2020 cap hit of $19.5 million (according to Spotrac). In addition to Solder’s massive contract, right guard Kevin Zeitler is also carrying a high cap hit. Zeitler’s 2020 cap hit is $12.5 million (Spotrac).

Nate Solder and Kevin Zeitler’s contracts alone make up $32 million of the $40 million that the Giants have invested into the position group. The Giants are wise to invest so much into a group that is so important. But since they have so much money spent into the offensive line, why is the unit still struggling?

An Expensive And Bad Offensive Line

The New York Giants’ offensive line was one of the weakest units in the NFL despite being one of the most expensive. The Giants’ line allowed 43 sacks and 119 quarterback hits in 2019. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones was constantly under duress.

Life was not made easy for Saquon Barkley, either. According to Football Outsiders, the Giants’ offensive line had a “stuffed” percentage of 20% (the percentage of runs where the running back is tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage). With so much invested into the Giants’ offensive line, they will need to see significant improvements in 2020. If not, then these players will likely be cut and stripped of their massive contracts.

Kevin Zeitler: New York Giants “Sick of Losing” For Last 3 Years

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New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler

When training camp and the regular season come around for 2020, the New York Giants will be expected to have an improved offensive line – one player that will be back from 2019, however, is Kevin Zeitler. The Giants picked up Zeitler from the Browns in exchange for pass rusher Olivier Vernon, and Zeitler was a starter at guard for fifteen out of the sixteen games the Giants played last year.

Thanks to the addition, which gave the team the guard duo of Will Hernandez and Zeitler, the Giants can worry more about the tackle position this year rather than having to address both guard and tackle in the draft and free agency.

However, while it looks like Zeitler has a future with the Giants, his first season wasn’t without hardships. He spoke about that to Sports Illustrated recently, talking about the trade, his first year with the Giants, and what things look like going forward.

“Obviously, my first year here was frustrating. There is talent on the Giants, but it was a very disappointing season overall… We had a bunch of smart football guys with experience on the line, but we were inconsistent in the running game and with our pass protection,” Zeitler said.

One of those players, of course, was Nate Solder – who received a huge contract but despite his past successes with New England, failed to make a big impact for the Giants in his first season with the team. Now it’s debatable whether Solder should even be on the Giants for the 2020 season. The offensive line, however, underperformed in general last season, even outside of that one player.

It’s something that Zeitler seems aware of.

“We have to figure out how to take the next step because last year was no fun, and we know we have to get it turned around fast,” Zeitler continued. “I like all the guys on the offensive line and think we can do great things together, but I don’t know what the plans are. That’s up to the general manager and coaches… The guys on this team are sick of losing the last three years. All we want to do is win.”

Even though it’s not clear yet who the Giants are going to take at the fourth overall spot in the draft, or if they’ll even spend the pick instead of trading down for the first time with Gettleman at the helm, it looks like they’ll come out of either the draft or free agency with at least one big name player to help solve their line problems.

Is that enough to turn things around on its own? Probably not, but if players like Zeitler are to be believed, the Giants are closer than they seem to putting in better performances and adding one or two more pieces could finally see a turnaround.

The One New York Giants Lineman That Outperformed Expectations On Sunday

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New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler

Not many players exceeded their expectations against the Jets, in a game that the New York Giants lost to arguably hit their lowest rock bottom point over the past few seasons, but there were some performances that stood out as rising above the standard set by the rest of the team, which admittedly isn’t a very high one based on the result.

One of those players that played well despite the result was on the offensive line, more specifically offensive guard Kevin Zeitler. The performance wasn’t just good by the standard of the Giants and their current performances, but good enough to earn Zeitler a spot on the Pro Football Focus team of the week. 

What did PFF have to say about the reasons why Zeitler did well enough to get on the team of the week?

Zeitler earned his highest single-game grade of the season (75.6) against the Jets in Week 10. He allowed just two total pressures and earned a 72.3 run-blocking grade.

Of course, it’s not the most unexpected thing in the world – Zeitler was already highly rated as a guard when the Giants brought him in from the Browns as part of the Olivier Vernon trade, and between the additions of Zeitler and Nate Solder, the former has worked out better than the latter so far.

The offensive line has been one of the worst areas of the team this season and part of the reason why Daniel Jones has a consistent fumble problem is the inability of the line to protect him all of the time.

Changes may be coming after the season, and Solder is likely on the trading block once the offseason hits, but for now, Giants fans will just have to be satisfied with the fact that not every player in this position group is failing to do their job this year.

New York Giants news, 11/10 – Giants promote offensive lineman and waive defensive lineman

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New York Giants, Olsen Pierre

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

The New York Giants promoted offensive lineman Evan Brown to the active roster on Saturday before their week ten matchup against the Jets at MetLife stadium.

With center, Jon Halapio already ruled out and right tackle Mike Remmers on the fringe of missing the contest, Brown was added to give the Giants additional reinforcements.

Brown was signed by Big Blue as an undrafted free agent out of SMU in 2018. He started all four years in college, giving him the essential experience to compete at the professional level. Up to this point, the reserve lineman has not been able to crack the starting team, but he will receive an opportunity to impress if called upon. Nick Gates will be next in line to take over at tackle if Remmers is unable to go.

The New York Giants waive a defensive lineman:

To make room for Brown on the active roster, the Giants waived Olson Pierre. This move makes sense considering the Giants recently traded for Leonard Williams, adding a rotational piece to the three defensive tackles. Pierre, however, had been productive in limited action this season, logging 2.0 sacks, three tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, over just 28 percent of defensive snaps

What will the offensive line look like against the Jets?

The New York Giants will trot out Nate Solder at left tackle, Will Hernandez at left guard, Spencer Pulley at center, Kevin Zeitler at right guard, and Nick Gates at right tackle if Remmers is unable to play.

The Giants’ front five has struggled in recent weeks against superior defensive fronts, so a change to the starting unit could prove to be a positive thing. There’s no better team to test out different players than the 1-8 Jets.

Nonetheless–

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Michael Eisen – Giants D looks to get back on track vs. Jets

Evidence That The New York Giants’ Offensive Line Problems Stem From Coaching

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New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler

The New York Giants‘ offensive line has been the team’s biggest problem for years now. The unit let up 47 sacks in 2018 and has already allowed 28 sacks in 2019, putting them on pace to allow 49 sacks on the season. The Giants are often criticized for not placing enough talent on the offensive line.

But this year, New York made sure to bring in two key pieces that should have solidified its offensive line as at least an average unit. So far, that has not been the outcome. The additions of Kevin Zeitler and Mike Remmers have not been enough to improve the Giants’ offensive line so far.

Every year, the Giants’ offensive line makes the same mistakes. Whether it be an offensive tackle not understanding how far the quarterback is dropping back, or the interior linemen not understanding how to pick up a stunt. These mistakes frequently occur, year after year. These repeated mistakes beg the essential question: is there a coaching problem?

Much of the “hot-seat” talk in New York has been centered around the Giants’ and Jets’ head coaches Pat Shurmur and Adam Gase. But maybe the conversation should be centered around a position coach. The Giants’ offensive line coach, Hal Hunter, should be on the hot seat.

Hal Hunter’s Career History

The Giants’ decision to hire Hal Hunter in 2018 was a bit of a confusing decision. Hal had been out of the league for a year after two “one-and-done” stints with the Indianapolis Colts, then the Cleveland Browns. As the Colts’ offensive line coach in 2015, he coached an average unit that allowed 37 sacks (ranked 17th). Still, Indianapolis was not entirely pleased with this outcome and decided to go a different direction in 2016.

Hal Hunter was then hired by the Cleveland Browns for the 2016 season in which he coached a historically bad offensive line. In 2016, the Browns’ offensive line allowed 66 sacks and 140 quarterback hits. Hal was fired after that season and did not have a job in the NFL in 2017. The Giants then hired them to help fix their atrocious offensive line in 2018.

So far, the offensive line has not been fixed. It does not even look close to being fixed. And there is evidence that the reason it is not fixed could be directly coordinated to a poor coaching-job.

Coachable Mistakes That The Giants Continue To Make

Below I will provide a few video clips and breakdowns of some of the mistakes that the Giants’ offensive line has been making. These are mistakes that should be coached out but have not been. These mistakes also happen more than once per game and were happening last season, as well.

Here is a breakdown by Bobby Skinner of the Talkin’ Giants podcast. Bobby breaks down an error that the Giants’ offensive line makes frequently. On this play, the Giants got confused by the stunt that the Cowboys’ defense ran. They failed to recognize it and did not pick it up, allowing their rookie quarterback to be pressured from three different angles and hit by two defenders:

Here is another example. Nate Solder, a nine-year veteran, is seen demonstrating bad footwork and letting the pressure get right to Daniel Jones. This is a simple technique issue Solder has been struggling with all year. It should be coached out by now, but Giants linemen have been making these same mistakes repeatedly this season.

Here are a couple more clips where the Giants’ offensive line is simply not on the same page:

Yes, the Giants’ offensive line lacks talent. But they are also making the same, fixable mistakes over and over. Offensive line coach Hal Hunter has not done his job and has not coached these mistakes out of his unit’s players. At the very least, the offensive line should be on the same page, but they are not.

While it is highly unlikely that the Giants would make a change at this position during the 2019 season, they should strongly consider making a change in the offseason.

The New York Giants could solidify the right tackle position with a monster draft pick

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Will the New york Giants consider right tackle, Andrew Thomas, in the 2020 NFL Draft?

The New York Giants need to allocate draft capital and salary-cap space towards several positions on both sides of the ball. However, the most detrimental position is offensive tackle, where Nate Solder and Mike Remmers protect both edges.

Remmers, who was signed this off-season to replace Ereck Flowers who started at right tackle last year, is tied for ninth in the league with four sacks allowed. He has been abysmal through nine weeks and forced Daniel Jones to run for his life at times.

Head coach Pat Shurmur is familiar with Remmers who played for him with the Minnesota Vikings. Back then, he was a bit more refined in his abilities and hadn’t succumbed to back surgery. Clearly, signing him was a desperation move and a plug-in player until the organization was able to find a better starter.

What does the 2020 NFL Draft offer the New York Giants?

The 2020 NFL draft offers several solutions for the Giants at the position. The top option is Giorgia tackle, Andrew Thomas. Thomas has been very good for Georgia this year as a shut down past protector and overall contributor in the ground game. He has faced off against top edge rushers and held them in check, protecting Jake Fromm from any further damage.

The most enticing aspect of Thomas is that he is capable of holding his own in the past and run game. This would benefit Jones in the pocket and star running back Saquon Barkley on the ground. Despite playing left tackle at the college level this season, moving over to the right side might make his life easier, considering he would be on Jones’ vision side. He played right tackle as a true freshman, starting there all season and helped the Bulldogs produce a fantastic rushing attack.

The Giants would benefit greatly from his skillset and mauling attitude. Injecting him into an offensive line consisting of Kevin Zeitler, Will Hernandez, Nate Solder, and Jon Halapio would be extremely beneficial. We can imagine general manager Dave Gettleman will also address the center position, especially after witnessing Halapio‘s regression this season. If he can bolster the offensive front with a fresh center and right tackle, Jones will be in a good place moving forward. They can also utilize Barkley and a more efficient way, opening up holes and running through the scheme.

While the Giants do you need help at the tackle position, an expected top five draft choice holds a lot of value. They could elect to bring in a new linebacker to solidify the middle of the defense. It all depends on what position Gettleman sees the most value in and if there are free agent players available.

 

New York Giants: Ranking each offensive lineman through eight weeks

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New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler

After eight weeks of regular season play, the New York Giants have seen plenty of ups and downs in regards to the offensive line. Left tackle Nate Solder has been inconsistent and a liability at times to rookie quarterback Daniel Jones’ blindside. Finding a way to supplement Solder’s deficiencies this season has been a challenge, and it has led to 15 total turnovers for Jones, who leads the league in the category.

However, while Solder has been lackluster, others have shown resiliency and promise.

Ranking the New York Giants offensive linemen:

1.) Kevin Zeitler

Zeitler, who was acquired in the Olivier Vernon trade with the Cleveland Browns, has earned a grade of over 70.0 through eight weeks, as per PFF. The tackles have been struggling for Big Blue, but their guards have been fantastic. Zeitler has been nursing a shoulder injury since the beginning of the season, but he has fought through it to become the Giants’ best offensive lineman.

The Giants own the rights to Zeitler for the next two seasons, and his cap hit is very team-friendly. His cap hit will be $12.5 million next season and $14.5 million in 2021. Compare that deal to Andrew Norwell, who’s averaging $15 million per season, and you can see what great value Zeitler provides.

2.) Will Hernandez

The second-year guard out of UTEP has been stellar for the Giants. Not hearing an offensive lineman’s name is usually a great thing, and Hernandez has been a ghost so far this season. He’s been on a rock next to the unreliable Solder and has saved Jones’ butt on numerous occasions.

Hernandez is only in the second year of his rookie deal, which provides value in of itself. He’s the future at left guard for the Giants and will likely be paid accordingly in the future, but the Giants must take advantage of his low cap-hit now.

3.) Nate Solder

Solder has been anything but good this season, allowing seven sacks through the first eight weeks. Jones has been blindsided frequently at the expense of Solder, and he realizes how poor his play has been. Solder and Remmers have combined to allow 58 quarterback pressures this season, which is a severe issue for Big Blue and has many scratching their heads.

The Giants will likely stick with Solder moving forward due to the lack of quality left tackles in the NFL, but they will need more from him to be a competitive team.

4.) Mike Remmers

The plug-in right tackle has hurt the Giants at times and saved them at others. I don’t expect Remmers to remain with the team beyond the 2019 season. Allocating draft capital or cap space to sign a quality right tackle is the plan for Gettleman, who desperately needs to upgrade the position. Remmers has a PFF grade of 61.6.

5.) Jon Halapio

Halapio has been plain bad this season, and general manager Dave Gettleman will undoubtedly look to upgrade the center position next offseason. He sits in last place with a PFF grade of 52.1, ranking in the bottom tier of starters in the NFL. Halapio might be an even more significant liability than Solder and Remmers at the tackle position. The Giants currently rank as the 17th best unit in the NFL.

The New York Giants Offensive Line Rebuild Is NOT Complete

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New York Giants, Nate Solder

The New York Giants are coming off of a crushing loss to the Arizona Cardinals in week seven. The Giants gave up 8 sacks to the Cardinals’ defense. The most notable sacks came on crucial third and fourth downs late in the game to officially hand the Giants their third loss in a row.

I admit it, I was wrong. I was really hopeful for the Giants’ offensive line heading into this season. In the offseason, I wrote an article stating that the rebuild was in fact complete. Kudos to all those who thought otherwise. Unfortunately, you were right. The Giants’ offensive line is not finished being rebuilt. In fact, it is far from it.

Left Tackle Liability

The Giants shocked the league in the 2018 offseason when they decided to make Nate Solder the highest-paid offensive lineman of all time. Solder was certainly an upgrade over Ereck Flowers, so many fans were fine with the signing. The Giants were simply filling a position of need with the best player available.

But many fans were quick to point out the potential risk of the Nate Solder signing. Solder was an average left tackle being paid like a world-class player. Sure, he was an improvement. But how big of an improvement was he really? Well, this season, Solder has not looked anything close to the player the Giants are paying for.

So far, through 7 weeks of the 2019 NFL season, Nate Solder has allowed 5 sacks and a whopping 26 pressures. That means that Nate Solder is letting his man get to the quarterback at an average around 4 times per game. To put this in perspective, Nate Solder allowed a total of 33 pressures through the entire 2018 season. Nate Solder is clearly regressing to a below-average left tackle and quickly becoming a liability on offense. Unfortunately, Solder and the Giants are tied to the hip with no real out in his contract until 2021 when the dead cap number drops to $6.5 million, which is still a hefty cap burden to bear.

In this video, you can see Nate Solder was beaten badly multiple times against the Arizona Cardinals.

Rocky Right Tackle Play

On the other side of the offensive line, it has not been much better. Newly-signed right tackle Mike Remmers has been a disappointment so far. Remmers has allowed 24 pressures and 2 sacks through 7 games.

To put this in perspective, Mike Remmers is averaging about 3.43 pressures per game. If he keeps at this rate, he would end the season with roughly 54 total pressures allowed. Last year, the Giants’ biggest offensive line liability, Chad Wheeler, allowed only 43 total pressures.

The Giants pass protection did not receive an upgrade at right tackle this offseason. Luckily, the Giants are not stuck with Remmers in the long-run like they are with Solder. The Giants signed Mike Remmers to a one-year deal this offseason and can easily move on from him either through the draft or free agency (where New York is set to have lots of money to spend). Fans should just hope that Dave Gettleman does not tie up too much money to an average offensive tackle again this offseason.

A Hole In The Center

The Giants were excited to get their center Jon Halapio back from injury this season. Jon suffered a broken leg in week two of the 2018 season. To that point, the Giants’ offensive line was atrocious, but Halapio was performing the best out of any of the players in the unit.

In week one of the 2018 season, Jon Halapio had Pro Football Focus’s third-best pass blocking grade (85.2) among centers with at least 50 offensive snaps. Dave Gettleman himself said that Halapio was playing the best out of anyone on the offensive line before he got injured.

This led the Giants to feel content with their talent at center and roll with Jon Halapio in 2019. Halapio has struggled so far this season. So far this season, Halapio has posted a Pro Football Focus grade of 51.6, ranking him 26th in the league at his position.

While Halapio is not the worst center option, and he is on a cap-friendly deal, there is certainly room for improvement. Halapio is an inconsistent center who has flashed great potential as a pass-blocker but seems to be making too many mental mistakes in 2019. Such as this play against the Minnesota Vikings:

The Part That The Giants Have Right

The Giants have their hands tied at left tackle and could use a major upgrades at right tackle and center. But there are two other positions on the offensive line that they seem to have right.

Much of the pressure that the Giants have let up this season has come off the edge, which is why we can place blame on Mike Remmers and Nate Solder. But the Giants’ guards, as expected, have been the strength of the offensive line so far.

Kevin Zeitler is still playing like a top-ten player at his position. He has allowed only one sack so far this season, committed only one penalty, and has done a nice job keeping pressure away from the quarterback. The Giants are paying big money for Kevin Zeitler, too, but at least they are getting high-level production from their right guard.

Will Hernandez is in his second season and has been quietly building off of his strong rookie campaign. He has had his fair share of mistakes (3 penalties), but the sophomore left guard has not allowed a single sack so far this season. Big Will also boasts one of PFF’s highest pass-blocking grades at his position with a grade of 79.5.

So, unfortunately, the Giants’ offensive line rebuild is not complete. It is, disappointingly, far from it. Sure, they have two strong pieces in place at both guard positions. But the Giants’ lack of talent at the tackle positions is proving to be killer this season. New York will need to address this in the offseason and continue working towards a long-term plan for their offensive line rebuild.