10 Most Indispensable New York Giants: This Player is The Top-Most Indispensable

Andrew Thomas, LT

Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 315 lbs.
College: Georgia | NFL Exp: 3 Years
Career Stats: 44 of 49 regular season starts, 2,825 snaps

Left tackle Andrew Thomas was selected fourth overall by the Giants in the 2020 NFL Draft. He had a rough rookie season, but he worked on his game in the offseason to eliminate his deficiencies and showed significant improvement in his second year.

In 2021, Thomas allowed just two sacks justifying his selection in one of the deepest offensive tackle drafts in recent history. In 2022 he followed that up with another stellar season and was named AP Second-Team All-Pro and ESPN First-Team All-Pro. The team has already picked up his fifth-year option, even though he is only heading into year four.

Thomas is a physical specimen. He's 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds and represents the prototype for the modern-era offensive tackle. He has the strength and athleticism to handle the best pass rushers in the league. He's also a bone crusher as a run blocker. His lateral quickness allows him to shut down speed rushers and inside moves.

His explosiveness and power allow him to beat defenders to the punch and pack a massive wallop when he does. He is the veteran anchor of what has quickly turned into a young, talented offensive line that has the potential to grow together and become one of the best units in the NFL.

Top 10 Indispensable Players

Why He's Indispensable

Thomas is not only the Giants' best lineman, but he represents how hard work equates to improvements on the field. He is a great example to the other young linemen on the team. He is the living embodiment of maximizing talent and turning potential and promise into quality play.

He will be a valuable mentor to all the young guys, like second-year guards Joshua Ezuedu and Marcus McKethan, who spent their rookie seasons mostly injured but both now have the opportunity to play next to him. Rookie center John Michael Schmitz will lean on him if only to understand how to conduct himself as a pro in the NFL.

But the guy Thomas can have the most profound effect on is second-year right tackle Evan Neal.

Very similar to Thomas, Neal struggled mightily in his first season as a professional. He struggled with the speed rushers off the edge. He seemed a few steps slow, and his footwork was inconsistent.

If the Giants coaching staff and front office are wise--and by all accounts, they seem to be--they would get Neal attached to the hip of Thomas and allow Thomas to school him on all of the ways he was able to improve from his first season to his second.

Thomas could possess the key to unlocking the potential of Neal, and if he can do that, it would mean two bookend tackles to grow together for the next 10-plus seasons.

What Happens if He’s Missing?

The Giants probably don't even want to imagine life without Thomas, especially since they are still trying to improve the rest of the offensive line. Behind him are many unproven commodities like Matt Peart, Tyre Phillips, Korey Cunningham, and Devery Hamilton.

Thomas's absence would likely put more pressure on running back Saquon Barkley to bring his blocks, and it would probably result in quarterback Daniel Jones needing to scramble more to escape a regularly collapsing pocket.

Final Thoughts

If the offense moves the ball in the run game, it is most likely over the left side. Jones can focus on the pressure in his face because he knows his backside is secure.

If Barkley is going to tuck in behind any lineman on the team, it will be behind No. 78. If Thomas can stay healthy, he will continue to be one of, if not the top, catalysts for the offense's success.

It is scary that he is this good already, and he is only 24 years old. Giants faithful should expect to see him in blue for the foreseeable future.