New York Giants OT James Hudson III: The Good, The Great, and The Ugly

We take a look at the positives and negatives of the new Giants offensive tackle.

Offensive tackle James Hudson III | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

When New York Giants All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas went down last season, the run game took a hit. Relying on a player off another team's practice squad, the Giants could not get the same level of movement at the point of attack on the left side as they did with Thomas. 

Eventually, they evened things out once they found an offensive line combination that worked without Thomas. So it was unsurprising to see them go out in free agency and pick up two offensive tackles to bolster the depth. 

One of those tackles was former Cleveland Browns left tackle James Hudson III. Hudson has made 17 starts over his first four seasons with the Browns. He is a guy who understands his strengths and tries to play to them. 

Let’s explore the good, the great, and the ugly in Hudson’s game. 

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The Good: Movement in Run-blocking

One of the things that makes Hudson so good as a run blocker is his ability to move. Base blocking and down blocking can be easy, but cutting off an interior defensive lineman on a run play that is going away from you is difficult.

The Good of new #Giants OT James Hudson III, run blocking on the move and in space. pic.twitter.com/TdqS6qjaUK

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) April 1, 2025

Pulling from the tackle position and wrapping through an opening in the offensive line, then locating a defender and blocking him in open space is also difficult.

Hudson excels at blocks where movement is necessary. He can use his footwork and speed to beat someone to the punch, either by cutting off on the back side or leading on the front side of a play. 

He has the speed to get on the perimeter and block, as well as the ability to climb to the second and sometimes third levels to block the defender. 

In the above series of plays, it might not look like much, but the athleticism it takes to beat a defensive lineman to an area on the field is truly a skill.

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The Great: Handling Line Stunts

Defensive line stunts can be complicated, especially for an offensive tackle, because defensive edge rushers are so athletic that you must give them the majority of your attention in past protection.

So when they decide to run a game with the defensive tackle, offensive tackles get caught up because they're preoccupied with blocking the defensive end.

The Great of new #Giants OT James Hudson III, is how he handles DL games and stunts. pic.twitter.com/VbQ4IEuGDh

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) April 1, 2025

Hudson is great because he relies on two things: his quick feet and his patience. His quick feed allows him to change directions, so when he has to follow a defensive end toward the B-gap, his feet are fast enough to get back and attack the defensive tackle looping toward the C-gap.

He also exhibits patience to not chase. When he sees the game happening in front of him, he recognizes his responsibility and makes sure that he maintains integrity first without going to chase something that he's not supposed to block. 

This is why he has so much success in recognizing and then blocking defensive linemen when they stunt.

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The Ugly: Finishing Blocks

This one is very interesting because it's not as if he is incapable of finishing blocks. It seems as if whenever it is not an immediate action, he can relax or fall asleep at the wheel.

The Ugly of new #Giants OT James Hudson III, is he can lose focus sometime. pic.twitter.com/EMSIVWe0JZ

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) April 1, 2025

Part of finishing the block is holding on to a block you've made and not being preoccupied with what's happening behind you. You should only focus on the task at hand, which is to block until the whistle. 

There are times in the film when you see Hudson getting to a defender and not properly executing finishing that block. This leads to linebackers running past him at the second level to get to running backs. 

It also allows defensive ends and edge rushers to get off his block whenever the quarterback holds the ball longer than Hudson might be expecting. 

Hudson just needs to do a better job of staying locked in once engaged to ensure that his man doesn't make the play.

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Coach’s Corner

First, a conversation about staying locked in throughout the play needs to be had, but that should be a short conversation. It is not a mistake made intentionally; it simply requires more focus. 

Hudson could be a valuable addition. Although Thomas looks to be trending towards being ready for camp, the load needs to be lightened on him as they make sure he is prepared to go for the regular season. 

That gives Hudson a chance to get comfortable and form a little bond with the other linemen, so if his number is called, they will not be throwing someone in with zero continuity.

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