Shane Lemieux

New York Giants need to see offensive line improve after bye week

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New York Giants, Matt Peart

The New York Giants made a shocking move today, firing offensive line coach Marc Colombo after only ten weeks with the team. According to reports, head coach Joe Judge made the decision to fire Colombo after a verbal altercation that saw Colombo insubordinate the team’s head coach. Now, Dave DeGuglielmo will serve as the team’s offensive line coach.

The Giants’ offensive line has struggled immensely in 2020. But, over the past few weeks, there has been some improvement. According to reports, this is correlated to the fact that Joe Judge has spent more time coaching the offensive line himself.

New York’s offensive line is a point of weakness. Judge and DeGuglielmo now have a whole bye week to work together and try to fix the offensive line’s issues. As the Giants make a late-season playoff push, it is crucial that the offensive line improves after the bye week to keep the Giants in the hunt.

New York Giants Offensive Line Stats

Despite investing a hefty amount of assets into the offensive line this offseason, the Giants’ front unit has not looked improved this year. Granted, there have been slight week-to-week improvements from individual linemen, but overall it has been a struggle for this positional group.

According to Pro Football Focus, through ten games, the Giants are last in pass-block grade (47.2) and 29th in run-block grade (56.9). PFF also states that quarterback Daniel Jones has been pressured on 42.9% of dropbacks this season (second among qualifying quarterbacks). Over the last four games, Jones has been pressured on 41.1% of his dropbacks (tied-fourth most).

New York’s second-year quarterback has been under constant duress this season. When kept clean, Jones has been surgical. In Sunday’s victory over Philadelphia, Jones was 18-18 from a clean pocket for 188 yards and a PFF passing grade of 93.1.

But keeping Jones’s pocket clean has been a struggle for the Giants. Rookie first-round draft pick Andrew Thomas leads all offensive tackles in the NFL in pressures allowed. He has struggled to find his footing in the NFL and has even been outplayed by third-round rookie Matt Peart in his smaller sample size.

The New York Giants found their formula for winning against Washington and Philadelphia the past two weeks. Essentially, the offensive line has to give Daniel Jones time to make plays. When Jones has a clean pocket he can make plays and keep the ball out of harm’s way. This is why fixing the offensive line should be the top priority for the Giants to close out the final seven weeks of the 2020 NFL season, as they push to make their first playoff appearance since 2016.

New York Giants: Shane Lemieux set to make NFL debut vs. fierce Tampa Bay defense

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New York Giants, Shane Lemeiux

The New York Giants had their first positive COVID-19 case of the season this week. Starting left guard Will Hernandez tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the Giants’ Week 8 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

According to reports, rookie guard Shane Lemieux is expected to start in place of Hernandez this week. This will be Lemieux’s first start of his career. The Giants drafted Shane Lemieux out of Oregon in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Week 8 will be Shane’s first opportunity to prove himself as a long-term starter on New York’s young offensive line.

Lemieux’s Opportunity

The New York Giants have kept veteran guard Kevin Zeitler involved in their trade talks ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Moving on from Kevin Zeitler would leave the Giants with a major hole at right guard. This hole, potentially, could be filled by Shane Lemieux, depending on his performance on Monday night. If Lemieux is able to perform at an impressive level against Tampa Bay’s fierce defensive front, he could elevate into a starting role and sway the Giants to trade Kevin Zeitler.

Lemieux’s Competition

Shane Lemieux and the Giants’ offensive line have a tall task ahead of them in Week 8. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have quietly built one of the NFL’s best defenses. Their defensive front, in particular, has been special in 2020.

Long-time veteran Ndamukong Suh is continuing to excel in his second year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Suh will be a handful lining up in front of the Giants’ rookie offensive lineman.

Tampa Bay is allowing the third-fewest yards per game (291.3 yards). The Buccaneers’ defense is allowing only 66.3 rushing yards per game so far this season, the best in the NFL. Wayne Gallman will have a tough time running the ball on Tampa Bay’s defense.

Shane Lemieux and the Giants’ offensive line will not only be challenged in the running game but in the passing game, too. The Buccaneers have totaled 25 sacks through 7 weeks, the second-highest total in the NFL behind only the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers.

This will be a “welcome to the NFL moment” for Shane Lemieux. In the first professional start of his career, the rookie out of Oregon will face one of the best defenses in the NFL that features a star-studded front-seven. If Lemieux can manage to hold his own against Tampa Bay, it will bode well for his future as a starter on the Giants’ offensive line.

Should the New York Giants roll with a young offensive line for the rest of the season?

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New York Giants, Matt Peart

The New York Giants‘ offensive line has struggled immensely through the first seven weeks of the 2020 NFL season. Despite this, their best lineman Kevin Zeitler has been brought up in trade discussions. Zeitler is a nine-year NFL veteran that has performed as the Giants’ best offensive lineman over the past two seasons.

Trading away Kevin Zeitler would leave the Giants with yet another huge hole in their offensive line. That hole would be filled by another rookie, Shane Lemieux, out of Oregon. This would place the Giants with two rookies starting on their offensive line, the other being left tackle Andrew Thomas. Nick Gates is also a rookie at the center position, playing this position for the first time in his career.

But should the Giants take things one step further and get as young as possible on the offensive line? New York has three rookies it could start on their offensive line: Andrew Thomas, Shane Lemieux, and Matt Peart. Combining these three rookies with second-year Nick Gates and third-year Will Hernandez would give the Giants an insanely young offensive line.

Why the Giants’ young offensive line could be a good idea

The Giants’ offensive line is bad as it is. Could it really get that much worse? It seems like it could only get better at this point as New York’s front line has allowed Jones to be sacked 20 times through seven games. Considering this, maybe the Giants’ rookies could step in and outperform the struggling veterans.

Additionally, the Giants need answers on these rookie offensive linemen. Are they long-term solutions? The only way to find out is if these rookies get significant game-experience for the final stretch of this season. Allowing these rookies to start on the offensive line would give New York eight weeks of film to evaluate their linemen heading into the 2021 offseason.

The Giants might need to invest further into their offensive line during the 2021 NFL Draft. But if these rookies can prove themselves as legitimate starters, then New York will be able to invest their assets elsewhere.

Will Hernandez will be out in Week 8 as he tested positive this week for COVID-19. This should give rookie Shane Lemieux a chance to start this week. If Lemieux performs well, it could entice the Giants to complete a Kevin Zeitler trade. If New York does that, they should take the extra step and insert Matt Peart into the starting lineup in place of Cam Fleming. This would give the Giants’ rookies eight weeks to prove themselves before the 2021 offseason.

New York Giants: Pros and cons of a potential Kevin Zeitler trade

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The 2020 NFL trade deadline is right around the corner. The New York Giants have already gotten active, trading away edge rusher Markus Golden to the Arizona Cardinals for a sixth-round draft pick. The Giants have had a few other players’ names come up in trade discussions, too. Veteran wide receiver Golden Tate is a trade candidate whose value is increasing. Offensive guard Kevin Zeitler is another name that teams have called about.

Kevin Zeitler was traded to the Giants in 2019. Since then, he has started in all but one game for the Giants. Zeitler has been one of the team’s best players since his arrival in New Jersey. But with the Giants sitting at the bottom of the NFC East with a lowly 1-6 record, there is a chance they start to sell off their best players to the highest bidders. How would the Giants benefit from a potential Kevin Zeitler trade?

Pros

The Giants are a young, rebuilding football team. They invested heavily into their offensive line this offseason, particularly through the 2020 NFL Draft. New York drafted two offensive tackles and one interior offensive lineman in this year’s draft. That interior offensive lineman is Shane Lemieux out of Oregon, and he would be the new starting right guard if Kevin Zeitler were to be traded.

If Zeitler were to be traded, the Giants would be able to give Lemieux a starting role for the final 8 weeks of the season. This would allow them to have plenty of NFL film on Lemieux going into the offseason before deciding whether or not to sign or draft another offensive lineman.

Best case scenario, Lemieux impresses and instills confidence in the Giants that he can be a long-term starter at offensive guard. Worst case scenario, Lemieux struggles and proves not to be the long-term answer, indicating to the Giants that they need to find a new offensive guard in the offseason.

Regardless, Kevin Zeitler is not a long-term answer at offensive guard. He is 31-years-old and has not been the same player this year that he was the seasons prior. Moving on from Zeitler would also free up $10 million in salary cap for the Giants (Spotrac).

Trading away Kevin Zeitler would likely acquire the Giants a day-two pick in the NFL Draft. He is their best offensive player and most valuable trade asset. The Giants would be able to gain draft capital and give Shane Lemieux valuable game experience. These are great benefits to trading away Kevin Zeitler, but there are drawbacks also.

Cons

If the Giants do trade Kevin Zeitler away, their offensive line will be going from bad to worse. The Giants’ offensive line is one of the worst in the NFL despite having Kevin Zeitler in the starting five. Taking him away would put Daniel Jones in harm’s way.

Additionally, taking Kevin Zeitler out of the starting lineup and thrusting Shane Lemieux in there could be bad for the rookie out of Oregon. Lemieux was a mid-round draft pick that is being developed behind Kevin Zeitler at the moment.

If he is ready to take on a starting role, then the Giants would probably be excited to get him out there in some capacity. But Lemieux has not lined up at offensive guard once this season, just a few snaps at fullback. If he is not ready to play, the Giants might risk stunting his growth by forcing him into the starting lineup to face tough competition.

The Giants have about a week to get a deal done if they plan on trading away Kevin Zeitler. Zeitler is a valuable and talented player, but if Gettleman and the Giants want to play the long game, they might benefit from moving on from the veteran offensive guard.

New York Giants: Joe Judge talks center competition

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New York Giants, Nick Gates

Among the many position battles and storylines surrounding the New York Giants is who their Week 1 starting center will be.

The Giants went into the 2018 and 2019 seasons with Jon Halapio as their starting center, but the 29-year-old is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon and is a free agent. Their 2020 options include Spencer Pulley, Nick Gates, and rookie guard Shane Lemieux, who cross-trained at center in the offseason.

Head coach Joe Judge says Gates, who played tackle and guard last season, is adjusting well to taking reps at center, noting that he has “improved” and his “toughness” is admirable” (quotes per Giants.com).

“Nick’s a guy that when we got here, we knew he had a lot of flexibility position wise. He had to learn the center position. I think he’s definitely a guy who’s just locked in to doing anything he could to give himself a chance. He’s improved in the short amount of time we’ve been able to be together. He shows a good command out there in terms of understanding the offense, communicating the calls. He has a toughness about him that you like inside.”

Gates appeared in 16 games for the Giants last season, making three starts (two games at right tackle and one at right guard). He signed with Big Blue as an undrafted free agent in 2018 but didn’t make his NFL debut until last season due to a foot injury.

Pulley has started 10 games at center for the Giants since 2018. Judge says Pulley is “a great communicator on the line of scrimmage and in the huddle.”

“Spencer’s a tough dude, he’s a smart guy, he can run the show out there, he understands what we’re trying to do, he understands what the defense is trying to do, he’s a great communicator on the line of scrimmage and in the huddle. Both those guys have done a tremendous job competing.”

Judge says the competition between Gates and Pulley is “scratch even.”

Whoever claims the center job will likely be accompanied by rookie tackle Andrew Thomas, Will Hernandez, Kevin Zeitler, and Cam Fleming on the offensive line.

New York Giants: What Will The Starting Offensive Line Look Like In 2020?

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New York Giants, Nate Solder, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants have had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL over the past few years. The team has struggled to find consistent offensive tackle play since investing a top-ten pick in Ereck Flowers in 2015. From Flowers to Solder, the Giants have been disappointed by their recent expensive offensive line investments.

New York is hoping that that trend of disappointing offensive line investments ends after this season. This offseason, the Giants invested heavily in their offensive line, drafting three linemen in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Giants also signed an offensive tackle in free agency and significantly upgraded their offensive line coach.

Giants fans are hopeful about their offensive line for the first time in a while. Andrew Thomas was drafted fourth overall, signaling a cultural shift by the Giants towards a more traditional team-building philosophy. The Giants are prioritizing the offensive line and finally, for the first time in years, have depth in the positional group.

Projecting the 2020 Offensive Line

 

  • LT – Andrew Thomas
  • LG – Will Hernandez
  • C – Nick Gates
  • RG – Kevin Zeitler
  • RT – Nate Solder
  • Depth – Spencer Pulley, Shane Lemieux, Cameron Fleming, and Matt Peart
  • OL Coach – Marc Colombo

The Starting Five

The Giants drafted Andrew Thomas to be the team’s left tackle of the future. Some have suggested that Thomas should start his career at right tackle, but in my opinion, Thomas should start at left tackle right away.

Nate Solder allowed 11 sacks in 2019 according to Pro Football Focus, the third most out of any offensive tackle in the NFL. To make matters even worse, Solder allowed 57 pressures in 2019. This was the most of any offensive lineman in the NFL. Andrew Thomas played 1,075 pass-block snaps in his collegiate career. On those snaps, Thomas allowed only 37 total pressures. He also has not allowed more than 2 pressures in a game since 2017 (his freshman season at right tackle). It is highly possible that Andrew Thomas is the best left tackle on the Giants’ roster despite never playing a snap in the NFL.

Will Hernandez is entering his third NFL season after taking a small step back in 2019. Big Will looked promising as a rookie but struggled to develop as a sophomore. This could have been for a couple of reasons: Hernandez was playing between two bad players, and the Giants’ coaching staff was one of the league’s worst. Luckily for Hernandez, both of these problems seem to have been fixed. This could be his breakout season.

The center position is by far the biggest question mark on the Giants’ roster in 2020. There will be a positional battle at center during training camp and preseason. In my opinion, Nick Gates is the top candidate for the position. Gates finished the 2019 season with a 77.0 overall grade and only 1 sack allowed in 290 snaps (Pro Football Focus). However, Spencer Pulley could win the job based on seniority and past experience. Gates has never played center before but has been impressive in limited snaps at offensive guard and offensive tackle.

Despite never making the Pro Bowl in his career, Kevin Zeitler has been one of the best pass-blocking offensive guards in the NFL. Also according to Pro Football Focus, Zeitler finished with the sixth-best grade among guards and posted a strong 75.0 pass-blocking grade — the sixth-straight year he’s achieved that mark. Zeitler is a lock for the Giants’ right guard position and should get a contract extension after his contract expires next offseason.

Solid Depth

Nate Solder is likely to move over to right tackle, but if that does not go well, the Giants have solid depth pieces behind him. New York signed Cam Fleming this offseason to be a swing tackle or backup offensive tackle. They also drafted Matt Peart out of UConn in the third round. Peart is not likely to be ready for NFL action in his first season, but he has a lot of potential down the road as a starting offensive tackle.

An Improved Coaching Staff

The hiring of Marc Colombo was huge for the Giants. Colombo has helped maintain the Dallas Cowboy’s offensive line’s status as one of the best in the NFL. Cowboys players have stated that Colombo’s relatability in his youth helped the offensive line grow and gravitate towards its coach.

“I’ve had the pleasure of being around a lot of people in this game. But Marc is in the front of the class. That’s the ultimate compliment I can give him. You get inspired by Marc every day you’re around him.” – Jason Garrett on Mar Colombo via ESPN

 

New York Giants: Who Should Start At Center In 2020?

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New York Giants, Spencer Pulley, Jon Halapio, Nick Gates, Shane Lemieux

Arguably the weakest position on the New York Giants‘ roster in 2020 is the center position. The Giants made it a priority to upgrade the offensive line this offseason. However, the team did not address the center position.

The Giants spent three draft picks on the offensive line in 2020: Andrew Thomas at left tackle, Matt Peart at right tackle, and Shane Lemieux at guard or potentially center. New York also signed offensive tackle Cameron Fleming in free agency.

While rookie Shane Lemieux could count as a center acquisition, he is a guard, and the Giants did not make any other acquisitions at the center position this offseason. The Giants will be rolling into training camp on July 28th with a mostly unchanged group of centers. Spencer Pulley is still on the roster, but Jon Halapio is not. The Giants have not yet re-signed Halapio after his last two tumultuous seasons on the team, though that could change if he is healthy.

Competing for the center position this summer are three players. Shane Lemieux, the rookie out of Oregon, could join the competition despite being a guard in college. Spencer Pulley is penciled in as the starting center right now because he is the only player on the roster to have started games at center in the NFL. Then there is also Nick Gates, the underrated offensive lineman who started three games at two different positions for the Giants in 2019.

Who Will Be The Starting Center?

Spencer Pulley?

Nick Gates, Spencer Pulley, and Shane Lemieux will be the three main players competing for the starting center position in 2020. Of those three players, Spencer Pulley is the only one with any experience as a center in the NFL. Nick Gates has played offensive guard and offensive tackle in the NFL, but never center. Shane Lemieux has yet to play a single snap in the NFL and was a guard in college.

Pulley might have the most experience, but he has the least potential. Spencer Pulley has been in the NFL since 2016. Throughout his career, Pulley has been a decent replacement-level starter or backup. He has been the Giants’ backup center for the past two years and even got the opportunity to start 9 games as the team’s center in 2018, filling in for the injured Jon Halapio.

In 2018, Pulley was decent, allowing 12 pressures, and two sacks in 573 snaps according to Pro Football Focus. However, in his one start with the Giants in 2019, Pulley played a poor game and was a liability as a run-blocker. This start was in Week 10 against the Jets where Saquon Barkley ran the ball 13 times for a total of 1 rushing yard.

Spencer Pulley provides professional experience and durability to the Giants’ center position. But, in my opinion, he is the option with the highest floor and the lowest ceiling. The Giants should consider Pulley a backup center and hope that one of these young guys wins the starting job.

Shane Lemieux?

The youngest player in the group is Shane Lemieux. The Giants drafted Lemieux out of Oregon in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. During his collegiate career, Lemieux was a solid player on Oregon’s great offensive line.

Despite never playing center in his career, Shane Lemieux will be considered for the position with the Giants. Upon being drafted by the Giants, Lemieux instantly started training to be a center. In the video below, you can see him practicing his snaps:

Shane Lemieux is one strong hog molly. He stands in at 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 310 pounds. He was also efficient in college, posting an 83.9 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus, surrendering only 11 pressures. Shane is a young, darkhorse candidate to win the center position if he has an impressive training camp and preseason.

Nick Gates?

In my opinion, Nick Gates should be the Giants’ starting center in 2020. Gates has spent his time in Las Vegas this offseason training to be a center with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.

“You know, just for what it’s worth, we’ve talked about Nick [playing center]. He did do some of that last year in practice, so it’s not completely new. Nick is smart. The thing you love about Nick is just how tough he is, because it’s a fist fight in there. There’s no doubt about that. History tells you that the toughness of your team is really, really indicated by the toughness of your offensive line. So, we’re always looking for that kind of piece. Nick would be in consideration at center, absolutely.” – Dave Gettleman on Nick Gates

Nick Gates did practice at center in 2019. He also started games at both right tackle and right guard in place of an injured Kevin Zeitler and an injured Mike Remmers. In Gates’s start at right guard in December he did not allow a single pressure and played an excellent game. Gates finished the 2019 season with a 77.0 overall grade and only 1 sack allowed in 290 snaps (Pro Football Focus).

If Nick Gates can replicate his success playing tackle and guard in 2019 at the center position, he should own the job in 2020. Gates was a pleasant surprise on the Giants’ poor offensive line last season. He has played a small sample size of snaps, but those snaps have all been efficient and reliable. Nick Gates could be the guy to turn the Giants’ biggest weakness into a strength.

Did the New York Giants land 2 potential steals on offense and defense in 2020 NFL Draft?

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New York Giants, Shane LeMieux, Darnay Holmes

The New York Giants need to have a fantastic 2020 NFL draft to finally piece together a team that has struggled over the past few seasons to produce any sort of quality. Finding late-round value picks that can contribute in future years is essential toward growth. General manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge made it a priority to address the linebacker and offensive line positions.

While it is too soon to tell if the Giants really landed any steals in the draft, there are several players with high upside we can keep an eye on.

Here are two players on both sides of the ball the New York Giants could develop into starters:

1.) Offensive steal: Shane LeMieux

When the Giants drafted Shane LeMieux in the fifth round, expectations were low. Any late-round offensive linemen are generally considered to be projects that require at least one season of actual development.

However, Lemieux brings a streak of toughness and physicality the team is lacking in the trenches. While his balance can be thrown off, and he is slow off his stance, there is plenty of physical abilities to work with.

“Shane’s a guy like Dave said, he plays with nasty,” added Giants head coach Joe Judge. “You turn the Auburn game on and right from the first snap he’s tossing bodies around. You can’t help but watch him. In a lot of cross over tape he jumps out at you as well. He’s a guy that’s going to have interior swing value. We’re going to cross train him guard and center. It’s going to be something he has been working on out at Oregon and we’re going to keep on building with that as well.”

The most exciting aspect of LeMieux is that he projects as a possible center option and guard. The Giants are currently lacking a center and will develop a position battle there to shake out the best of the bunch, hopefully. LeMieux will compete with Jon Halapio, Spencer Pulley, and Nick Gates this off-season.

“That was probably just on me,” Lemieux stated regarding his desire to train at center and guard. “Especially as a rookie, there’s not really a guard that only plays guard. Versatility is the biggest factor in this game. Coaches want to be able to put you in multiple spots. I have really good mentors that told me that at training camp, no matter where you are, they are going to throw you in, and you have to be ready. I just want to be prepared before that happened. Even at pro day, somebody asked me to jump in at center and I was ready to do that. It just all works out and versatility is key.”

Judge loves players that can play multiple positions and perform when called upon. Shane knows that the longevity of his career relies on adaptability, and he has taken the appropriate steps to function and various positions.

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Shaun O’Hara: Pulley the Right Choice at Center For Giants…For Now

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New York Giants, Spencer Pulley, Jon Halapio, Nick Gates

The New York Giants have been building up their offensive line this offseason, adding three tackles and an interior lineman in the draft and free agency.

The one position they haven’t formally addressed, however, is center. The Giants do have a plan, but is it a solid one? There are a lot of ‘ifs’ surrounding the center position and analyzing the situation, it seems as if they are counting on getting lucky rather getting good.

Last year’s starter, Jon Halapio, is currently not on the roster as he is still rehabbing from a Achilles injury he suffered lat last season. At last glance, Halapio’s rehab is going well and the team has even mentioned re-signing him once he’s healthy.

Halapio’s backup is Spencer Pulley, who has started nine games in his two seasons with the Giants. Pulley is a serviceable option for the Giants at the moment considering the other choices facing them at the moment.

GM Dave Gettleman has intimated that Nick Gates, who has played both center and guard for the Giants can also play center. Then, there is fifth round draft pick Shane Lemieux out of Oregon, a tough interior lineman in the mold of Rich Seubert who is mainly a guard and has never played center.

Lemieux will be working at center and so is Gates but former Giants Pro Bowl center and current NFL Network analyst Shaun O’Hara believes that Pulley is the Giants’ best option right now.

“I think Spencer Pulley is a good center,’’ O’Hara told the NY Post. O’Hara believes that Lemieux’s learning curve will be too steep to displace Pulley in camp this summer.

“The toughest thing a lot of guys have, if you’ve never played center, is shotgun snaps,’’ said O’Hara. “Most guys can figure out the under-center snap. Shotgun snaps, sometimes people become mental midgets with that and they just can’t handle it. It sounds to me he’s the kind of guy that is gonna stay out and snap 1,000 balls if he has to, to make sure he can handle that.’’

The experience angle led O’Hara to say that Pulley should be the starter until the Lemieux or someone else can come in and raise the level of play without sacrificing stability.

“He’s not going to come in and be better than Spencer Pulley right away,” O’Hara said of Lemieux. “Just from a mental standpoint, making the calls. And you got a young quarterback too. Daniel Jones has not seen every defense yet. Would I want a second-year quarterback and a rookie center playing? Heck no.’’

That may not deter the Giants from fast-tracking Lemieux into the center position. They want change up front and quickly.

New York Giants: A Greatly Improved Offensive Line?

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

The offensive line has been one of the worst areas of the New York Giants in recent years, but that could change in 2020. The team has made a lot of strides for change in the area in the past few years and some of them have worked out – others have not. Will Hernandez returns as a starter, while Nate Solder so far has been considered an expensive bust. But the Giants have brought in multiple players this offseason to improve the position, and that includes fourth overall pick Andrew Thomas.

As a result of their moves, Pro Football Focus believes the Giants are one of the most improved offensive lines in 2020. On the PFF list, the Giants managed to make it to the number five spot, an impressive accomplishment considering the team’s recent history with the O-line.

5. NEW YORK GIANTS

Key Additions: T Andrew Thomas, T Matt Peart, G Shane Lemieux
Key Losses: T Mike Remmers, C Jon Halapio

It was clear the Giants could use an upgrade at the tackle position after last season. Nate Solder and Mike Remmers combined to allow 96 pressures in 2019, more than any other tackle duo in the NFL. While Solder is locked into the left tackle spot given his contract and the inability to move on without incurring $16 million in dead money, right tackle was a spot that clearly could be upgraded. As the top tackle on PFF’s Big Board, Thomas gives them that.

He came into the SEC as a freshman in 2017 and put up a 76.7 pass-blocking grade. To perform like that as a starting tackle in a conference where he was going up against quality talent on the edge week in and week out is impressive. All Thomas did from that point was improve, earning an 80.6 overall grade in 2018 and a 92.7 grade last season for Georgia. Nearly all offensive linemen struggle in their first season in the NFL, but Thomas has as good a chance as anyone in this class to handle the transition well and provide solid play out of the gate for the Giants. That alone is enough to land them on this list.

Thomas isn’t the only player that was praised by PFF, however. As the article brings out, the Giants also added some depth in Matt Peart and Shane Lemieux at the tackle and guard positions. Depth isn’t something the Giants have had on the offensive line for years, and it helps to have alternative options for when injuries or surprise drops in performance happen. After all, the Giants found out last season just how often injuries can come.

Still, the Giants will have to succeed in games before winning everyone over fully on the subject of their line. It’s easy to get excited in the offseason about additions like these, but previous years have proven that it’s impossible to tell just from stats on paper how such additions will pan out in games.