Matt Peart's Basketball Roots Gives Giants Potential Impact on Offensive Line

The Giants selected offensive tackle Andrew Thomas with their first-round pick in this year's draft and 95 picks later they added Matt Peart, a project tackle that has basketball to thank for many of his intangibles that make him a potential NFL starter.

Offensive tackle topped general manager Dave Gettleman's shopping list heading into the 2020 NFL draft, and he bought in bulk. The selection of Connecticut offensive tackle Matt Peart with the 99th overall pick at the bottom of the third round gave the Giants a 6-foot-7, 318-pound behemoth. 

While Peart doesn't automatically project as a Day 1 starter as a rookie, his size and athleticism offer the intangibles for a potential long-term replacement for veteran tackle Nate Solder.

If Peart does develop into a dependable tackle for the Giants, then Gettleman has the coaching staff at Governor's Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts, to thank for molding Peart's athleticism as a teen, but not just the football coaching staff.

Peart was a newcomer to football when he enrolled at Governor's Academy, and his primary sport was basketball. 

"I grew up in the Bronx ... Jamaicans call it ‘The Concrete Jungle,’ so it’s easier to pick up a ball and shoot some hoops because there weren’t really that many fields open," Peart said in an introductory conference call on Saturday. "Going to Governor’s Academy and having an opportunity to be exposed to [football] was the first time I really got exposed to the sport."

It was Peart's academic commitment that earned him enrollment at Governor's Academy. After spending childhood in the Bronx, New York (as a devoted Giants and Eli Manning fan) Peart's grades earned him acceptance into the Oliver Scholar's Program, which helps put high-achieving students form the Tri-State Area into esteemed private schools. 

Peart's academics also netted him the chance to compete in the Independent School League, one of the country’s most competitive athletic conference, sparking his journey to the NFL. 

Despite only having basketball experience, Peart put his unique frame and athleticism to use for Governor Academy's football team as well. Peart became a two-way player on the offensive and defensive line to help Governor's Academy win four consecutive Independent School League titles. 

But pure size alone didn't make Peart's transition into football as successful as it was. The other greatest strength in Peart's game was molded through his basketball background. 

"When it comes to basketball, you have to have real fine footwork. I feel like that helped correlate on the field when it comes to football," Peart said. "Being a post player, you have to be able to have good footwork to work in the post. It’s just what you have to have. I feel like that helped me correlate over to football. Just being a tough and dominant player in the post helped me be a dominant football player as well."

Peart's combination of elite size and footwork is an essential combination for NFL offensive tackles, meaning the Giants have a lot of potential on their hands with the former Husky. 

Many draft experts have labeled Peart as a project player. Despite his ideal size, Peart needs to add strength, particularly in the upper body. It's a trait that may be a holdover from his basketball background as upper-body strength is less critical for basketball players than for offensive linemen.  

But Peart will be the beneficiary of a Giants coaching staff with a record for developing offensive tackles. Giants' new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and offensive line coach Marc Colombo were central in molding offensive linemen for the Dallas Cowboys over the past decade. 

La'el Collins is one example. Collins was signed as an undrafted free agent for Dallas in 2015, boasting many similar "raw" intangibles to that of Peart. Under Garrett and Colombo's guidance, Collins has gone on to start all-but-one game at right tackle for the Cowboys since 2017. 

Peart will be learning from a coaching staff seasoned in molding quality tackles.

"Whenever I think about [the project label], it just means that I just want to dedicate myself to be a better student of the game and wherever I need to improve, you best believe I’m willing to do the work, and I’m ready to work right now," Peart said.