Where Giants Stand Ahead of Draft at Offensive Line

The Giants have more money invested in their offensive line than any other position group. That statement might incite confusion and fiscal frustration among fans, as the investment did not translate to performance in 2019.

Despite all the money tied up in the unit, the Giants will probably have to invest even more in the offensive line in the draft if they are going to do right by quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.

On The Roster

T Nate Solder, G Kevin Zeitler, G Will Hernandez, G/T Nick Gates, C/G Spencer Pulley, T Cameron Fleming, G/T Chad Slade, G/T Eric Smith, C Tanner Volson

Off The Roster

C/G Jon Halapio (unsigned/unable to pass a physical), T Mike Remmers (Kansas City)

The Breakdown

According to Spottrac, the Giants have $43,692,688 invested in the offensive line in 2020, which accounts for 22.1% of the team's total salary cap. The bulk of this spending is due to two veteran players, the most prominent being 32-year-old left tackle Nate Solder ($19.5 million) followed by guard Kevin Zeitler ($12.5 million).

With the retirement of quarterback Eli Manning, Solder is the oldest, highest-paid, and winningest (two Super Bowl championships with the New England Patriots) player left on the Giants. His veteran prestige is good for just that, as he allowed 11 sacks in 2019, tied for second in the league among left tackles.

"Nate had a rough year last year--nobody denies that and certainly, he is not," general manager Dave Gettleman said during a conference call with reporters this week.

"I made the statement to people after we signed him in 2018, and after the 2018 season, no one was talking about Nate Solder. He had a tough year."

Tough year or not, Solder is essentially an expensive leftover from Gettleman's attempt at a one-year rebuild in 2018 to extend Manning's career in New York.

The Giants could cut him to shed some inflated salary, but in doing so, they'd take a $13 million cap hit unless they were to designate him a post-June 1 cap cut. That makes it likely that he'll be on the roster for 2020, though depending on what the Giants do in the draft, they could flip him to the right tackle spot.

The other significant investment on the Giants' offensive line provides drastically more value in 30-year-old right guard Kevin Zeitler. Zeitler was the Giants' best offensive lineman in 2019 with a 76.4 grade by Pro Football Focus and should be locked in as the starter at right guard until his contract expires after 2021.

In contrast to Solder, Zeitler's presence on the roster represents one of Gettleman's better moves as the reward from the trade that sent edge rusher Olivier Vernon to Cleveland.

The Giants are set at the left guard as well with Will Hernandez, who enters his third year in the NFL. While Hernandez didn't entirely take the big step forward in his development, many had hoped he'd take, at just 24 years of age, he's shown promise. With some new and different coaching, he should be better in 2020.

Beyond the two guards, the rest of the Giants unit is unsettled. Solder will probably man one of the two tackle spots, but the other tackle, as well as center, will likely require high draft capital investment for any chance of an improvement on the offensive line.

Spencer Pulley, who made only one start last year, is currently the Giants' only established center. Nick Gates and Cameron Fleming present options as potential swing tackles. Still, the proposition of either one taking over as a starter is a dangerous one for Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley, especially if the COVID-19 pandemic continues to deprive the players of valuable on-field reps.

In a conference call on Monday, Gettleman expressed confidence in Gates' ability to challenge for a spot on the offensive line. At most, Gates could present a threat to Solder as a potential replacement at one of the tackle spots or Pulley at center; however, the real answer to solidifying the Giants' offensive line will be found in the draft.

Draft Options

With the number four pick, Gettleman should have his choice at any of the draft's top-four offensive tackle prospects. Iowa's Tristan Wirfs, Alabama's Jedrick Wills, Louisville's Mekhi Becton, and Georgia's Andrew Thomas would all project as Day 1 impact starters on the Giants' offensive line.

Wirfs and Wills both project more as right tackles in the NFL at least at first, while Becton and Thomas would fill the more-important left tackle spot.

For the sake of keeping Jones upright, Thomas or Becton might be the better picks to ensure that Solder's 11 sacks allowed last season is not a trend that continues in 2020, but any of the four would give the Giants' a short-term and long-term impact in the run and pass game.

However, the possibility that the Giants go defense in the first round with the selection of Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons could leave them without any of the four.

While the Simmons selection wouldn't directly help Jones and Barkley, there could still be Day 2 options that have a chance to develop into starting NFL tackles.

The second-tier tackle options include Thomas' Georgia teammate Isaiah Wilson, USC's Austin Jackson, and Boise State's Erza Cleveland, all of whom might need a little seasoning before their ready for full-time NFL starting roles.

But even if the Giants take a tackle in the first round, they still have holes to fill on the offensive line, specifically at center, and could see each of their first two picks go toward addressing those needs.

The draft's top centers are Wisconsin's Tyler Biadasz and Michigan's Cesar Ruiz. Both would likely be available with the Giants' second-round pick but aren't guaranteed to be available beyond then.

With the 99th pick, the Giants might have a chance at Temple's Matt Hennessy, who presents a lot of the same upside as Biadasz and Ruiz, but with less polish coming from outside the Power 5 ranks.

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