Giants' 2020 Roster Report Card: Grading the Offensive Line

After vowing—and coming up short—in his quest to fix the offensive line, general manager Dave Gettleman allocated three draft picks to address this year, but future years,

But as has been the case ever since Gettleman came on board, the question that the Giants will need to answer is whether the offensive line is different or better.

In the past, I’ve been optimistic that the answer would be better only to be fooled. So this time, I remain confident, though concerned about the unusual off-season and how the starting line will be configured.

The two guards—Will Hernandez and Kevin Zeitler—are set. So too are the tackles (presumably), which I’ll get to in a moment. But questions linger at center and, perhaps on a grander scale, how quickly offensive line coach Marc Colombo can get this group up to speed and on the same page after having no off-season with which to work with them on timing and communication.

And call it a hunch, but something tells me the Giants might be looking to add another center to the roster before the summer is out as their experienced depth is lacking. Of course, there is still a chance that Colombo can get youngsters

Roster Locks: Spencer Pulley (C/G), Will Hernandez (G), Kevin Zeitler (G), Andrew Thomas (T), Nate Solder (T)

There's no denying it. Nate Solder had perhaps the worst season of his career, allowing (per PFF) 11 sacks. It's fair to wonder how much of the off-season ankle surgery he had was a factor and how much of his worries over his young son requiring more chemotherapy bled into his game. With that said, if a player is out there, he needs to leave whatever is going on outside of the building at the door and deliver the goods.

Solder's ankle issue seemed to be most evident on his pass-block setup, where his footwork was far from fluid. He also seemed to struggle with balance and had issues against power. Solder's best days are probably long behind him, but if some of what ailed him last year has resolved itself, perhaps the Giants can get by.

By default, Spencer Pulley should be the starting center, as he's the only one on the team with experience in making the line calls, which should not be underestimated, considering they have a second-year quarterback behind him.

Whereas Pulley was decent in 2018 when he had to step in for Jon Halapio two years ago, last year in limited action, Pulleys play was alarming, particularly in the running game where he failed to sustain any contact. But like his other returning linemates, perhaps the change in coaching and the run-game coordinator will do a better job at covering deficiencies in his game, and the offensive line's in general.

The Giants had big hopes for Will Hernandez after an encouraging rookie season, but unfortunately, he didn't fulfill them. A big part of the problem was the two guys on either side of him, but Hernandez's mental game combined with inconsistency in his technique was also at fault, especially in pass protection and in his one-on-one battles.

Hernandez's mobility wasn't used much last year, which is a shame as get this big man into space, and chances are he'll flatten a guy or two. The change in coaching should also help Hernandez achieve consistency in his technique and develop some tricks to help him better recover against the quicker players who at times caught him off guard last year.

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As a side note, perhaps a more experienced Jones and Pulley will do a better job with the protection calls this year, which will enable the offensive line to handle stunts and twists.

Kevin Zeitler was hands down the Giants' best offensive lineman last year. However, a shoulder ailment affected his power last year, particularly in the run-blocking game. He still managed to continue his solid play as a pass blocker, his toughness, hand technique, balance, and power base, making him the best of the starting five.

Andrew Thomas, the first-round pick, is without question the future left tackle for this team. So why do I have him plugged in for the right tackle spot? For a couple of reasons. One, Thomas has been cross-training at both right and left tackle, so he's ready for either side.

But more importantly, it makes more sense to put Thomas next to Zeitler on the offensive line versus Hernandez, the latter of whom is still trying to feel his way after a subpar showing last year.

Likely Backups: Cameron Fleming (T), Matt Peart (T), Shane Lemieux (G/C), Nick Gates (C/G/T)

Cameron Fleming gives the Giants something they haven’t had in years: a solid swing tackle who can step in and play either side with a very minimal drop-off. That’s important, especially if Nate Solder struggles to stay healthy. As a bonus, Fleming is not only familiar with Colombo, with whom he worked in Dallas, he also knows Jason Garrett’s offense.

Matt Peart, the third-round pick out of UConn, comes with all kinds of promise. However, he’s thought to be a ways away from being ready to push for a starting job, though right now it’s not unrealistic to envision him as the team’s right tackle of the future.

Peart’s game reminds one of another developmental tackle prospect the Giants selected from the University of Connecticut on the second day of the draft, Will Beatty, who went on to play left tackle for the Giants. Like Beatty, Peart is a long and athletic blocker who stood out in a good way on the Huskies’ offensive line.

Peart has very good feet and has no issues mirroring athletic defenders on the edge while maintaining his leverage. He also has competitive toughness and is a guy who "looks for work" in both pass protection and run blocking, and, like Beatty, his athleticism shows up as an under-rated run blocker in space. Peart’s biggest challenge will be improving his base, which will come from being in an NFL weight room.

Another up-and-coming rookie on this unit is guard/center Shane Lemieux, the fifth-rounder out of Oregon. Parts of Lemieux’s game remind one of a very young Richie Seubert—Lemieux is a scrappy, durable player who is at his best blocking downhill on run plays, mainly when he can work off of double teams.

You’ll rarely see Lemieux standing around doing nothing, He can create movement at the point of attack with good power in his upper and lower body, and the ability to latch on with great grip strength.

The question is, where will he fit in? Ideally, he mastered enough playing center—he’s been working to learn the position based on videos shared over the off-season—but would the Giants trust a guy who has never played the position to work in front of a second-year quarterback?

Bubble Guys: Chad Slade (G/T), Tyler Haycraft (T), Kyle Murphy (T), Eric Smith (T), Nate Wozniak (T)

Chad Slade was set to be a UFA, but the Giants decided to retain him before the draft. As an offensive tackle, Slade’s calling card is holding up to power, but yet when injuries hit the tackles last year, he was not the first choice off the bench, and now faces an even steeper climb to make the roster given the additions of Cam Fleming and Matt Peart, who figure to be the first guys called off the bench if there is an injury.

Tyler Haycraft is an interesting prospect who could be cross-trained at center—he began working at the position in the weeks leading up to the draft. Haycraft, 6’3, 295 pounds doesn’t have the length to play tackle, but if he can bulk up and continue learning the center spot, he’ll improve his chances of landing on a practice squad at the very least.

Kyle Murphy has played every position on Rhode Island's offensive line and offers a combination of size and athleticism. Murphy was voted first-team All-Conference his junior year and is a former team captain. He played center for Rhode Island last year, so if the Giants are looking at a potential developmental prospect at center, Murphy might have the best chance among the bubble guys.

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Smith was claimed off waivers from the Jets off on Sept. 1 of 2019, but other than filling in for Nate Solder in Week 10 last year against the Jets, Smith couldn’t keep up with the action and was regularly overwhelmed by the speed and power of the game. Again, with the depth in front of him at tackle, it’s hard to envision he’ll have a place on the 53-man roster.

Nate Wozniak converted to offensive tackle (from tight end) in 2018 and has bounced around practice squads, including the Giants’. However, the combination of his weight (280 pounds) and lack of experience at the position make him the longest of long shots for a roster spot, though it might be interesting to see if the coaches view him as a potential jumbo tight end. Even so, given the depth in front of him, Wozniak appears to have a steep hill to climb and might be better off going back to tight end where his skillset might give him a better chance at latching on to a roster somewhere.

Grade: B-

The Giants finally added some depth at the offensive tackle, a deficiency they’ve had for years. They’re also very solid at the guard position, but the one spot where there is a legitimate concern is center, where other than for Pulley, they don’t have anyone else with NFL experience.

Given how the COVID-19 virus wiped out the OTAs and how we don’t even know what training camp might look like, it’s certainly fair to wonder if the Giants’ depth at center is still not on this roster. I believe this is not the year to experiment with playing guys at the position who haven’t done it in a game (another reason why I think it is a mistake not to have at least one preseason game).

But the Giants’ saving grace here is offensive line coach Marc Colombo, a well-respected and successful offensive line coach with prior experience as an offensive lineman. But even Colombo, for as good as he is, hasn’t dealt with the challenges this off-season has posed.

Next Week: Our look at the defensive positions.

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