Giants Player Profile | Andrew Thomas, OT
2019 Season Rewind
Andrew Thomas started every game at left tackle for the Georgia Bulldogs. In 2019, he delivered a dominating performance against tough SEC competition, allowing just one sack.
Thomas’s elite play was recognized as he earned first-team All-SEC for the second straight season. He also took home the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best blocker in the conference and was named a unanimous All-American.
In mid-December, he decided to forgo his senior season to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft. He sat out of his team’s Sugar Bowl appearance to instead get himself ready for the NFL.
Not surprisingly, Thomas was one of the highest touted offensive tackle prospects coming out of college this past off-season. He had a solid NFL Combine performance in February that included 21 reps on the bench press.
Despite an above-average collegiate career in one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA, Thomas never seemed to draw the same amount of love from a vast number of draft analysts, most of whom seemed more enamored with Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills, and Mehki Becton.
In the end, Thomas was the first offensive tackle off the board, going to the Giants at No 4. And if he can transfer his success at the college level to the NFL, the Giants will be set at offensive tackle for a long time.
Looking Ahead
The offensive line has been a significant issue for the Giants for the past several years. Although general manager Dave Gettleman has put substantial emphasis on adding “hog mollies” to the unit, the team has fallen short in its quest to creating stability.
With the Giants having added Thomas to the mix, the next question is where the rookie will start his NFL career, the left side or the right?
Thomas has experience at right tackle starting his college career there in 2017 but was moved over to the left side, where he thrived in his final two seasons at Georgia.
New York’s current left tackle is Nate Solder, who, per PFF, was charged with allowing 11 sacks in 2019, the third-most among all NFL tackles last year.
While it is difficult for a rookie to be thrown right into the fire by having the tall task of protecting the quarterback’s blind spot, pass blocking is Thomas’ specialty as he only allowed a total of five sacks in three seasons with the Bulldogs.
But two men can't both play left tackle simultaneously, which means someone is going to have to move. Will that someone be Solder, who hasn't played right tackle since his rookie season, or Thomas, who last played it as a freshman?
Make no mistake about it: Thomas is the future at left tackle. But for the coming year, at least, it might make sense to start him on the right side rather than move Solder over at this point in his career.
No disrespect to Will Hernandez, the left guard who is entering his third NFL season, but because he struggled last year, it makes the most sense to leave him next to Solder rather than putting him next to a rookie.
Meanwhile, Thomas could benefit from working next to right guard Kevin Zeitler, who last year was the Giants' most consistent offensive lineman.
