CBS Sports Names This Giant as the Most Indispensable on the Roster

Football is the ultimate team sport requiring all 11 players on any given play to get the competitive edge. But while each athlete has a specific role to play, an argument can be made that some players are a little more indispensable than others.

That is the opinion of CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin, who recently selected one player that each team can't afford to lose this season.

Benjamin's choice for the Giants is left tackle Andrew Thomas, of whom he noted:

So much of the Giants' 2022 season depends on the development of QB Daniel Jones, who has a new coach in Brian Daboll. And while Thomas isn't yet an elite lineman, his growth as a second-year starter confirms he's got Pro Bowl upside. As the chief blind-side protector of Jones, his loss would force rookie RT Evan Neal into a high-pressure job.

The selection of Thomas isn't a bad one, though it's hard to isolate one player from a five-man offensive line, of which much is expected ahead of this coming season.

And yes, Thomas is very much a part of that unit, being the only holdover from last year's disappointing crew, which ended the season ranked 30th by Pro Football Focus.

But is Thomas truly the most indispensable member of the offense? According to Pro Football Focus, Thomas was by far the best tackle the Giants had last year, registering a 97.9 pass-blocking efficiency rating, followed by Matt Peart (96.2), Nate Solder (96.1), and Korey Cunningham (92.4). So yes, he is crucial, and yes, a case can be made that he is one of the more indispensable players on the roster.

While Thomas's performance stood out like a beacon of light on a foggy evening for the offense, the fact remains that the unit still struggled through far more significant issues regardless of his presence in the lineup.

Instead, we would look to the defensive side of the ball for our choice of most indispensable Giant, and that choice would be inside linebacker Blake Martinez. In looking at the run defense last year, it took a hit with the free-agency loss of defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. Still, when the unit lost Martinez early in the year to a torn ACL, things slid downhill, particularly for the run defense.

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In 2020, the Giants finished 11th in the league (111.4 rushing yards/game) against the run. Minus the gap-filling Martinez, who not only led the Giants that season in total tackles by a wide margin (151) but also was the runaway leader in run-game tackles with 45, the Giants' run defense tumbled to 25th in 2021 (129.0 yards/game).

Inside linebacker Tae Crowder (130) and now former safety Logan Ryan (117) finished first and second on the team in total tackles and run-defense tackles (Crowder 35, Ryan 29).

Martinez is expected to be back on the field for the Giants this fall, his ACL as good as new. It remains to be seen, though, if there is any dropoff in his game as he begins the process of trying to pick up where he left off before his injury.

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