Which College Program is Offensive Line U?
Need a starting-caliber offensive lineman? If you're the New York Giants, the answer is yes twice over, as the Giants not only need to start thinking long-term about offensive tackle but they also probably want to think about the long-term look at center.
To recap, at offensive tackle, the Giants, despite signing Cam Fleming in free agency, still need to add at least another tackle to the mix.
Meanwhile, left tackle Nate Solder is nearing the end of his contract, which ends after the 2021 season. While Solder doesn't appear to be in danger of being removed from the roster this year, the Giants can save $14 million against their 2021 salary cap if they move on from the 32-year-old after this season.
To do that, the Giants will need to ensure they have a guy ready to step in to protect quarterback Daniel Jones' blindside, something they currently do not have.
So will the Giants will draft an offensive tackle in the first round, where there are four quality studs to choose from, or will they defer drafting a tackle until Day 2 of the draft to groom the kid while Fleming starts at right tackle?
And then there is the center position. As Jon Halapio, currently unsigned, continues recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in last year's regular-season finale, the Giants need a long-term upgrade there anyway.
Spencer Pulley will likely open camp as the No. 1 center, but it certainly wouldn't hurt the Giants to add a young prospect this year if they can to start grooming for full-time duty down the line.
So which college programs have historically produced top offensive linemen? SI.com's Reid Foster crunched a decade worth of numbers to find the answer, which was one of the closest races in SI's Position U series.
Think the winner was Wisconsin? Think again--and check out Foster's study for the results.
