The New York Giants pick at No. 4, and an offensive tackle to protect their young franchise quarterback makes a lot of sense.
Many teams drafting early in the 2020 NFL Draft must pick players to help young franchise quarterbacks. The New York Giants are one such team.
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In his rookie year, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones showed potential despite being hit frequently. He suffered 38 sacks in only 13 games, but still managed to throw 24 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
Left tackle Nate Solder has been a big disappointment since coming over from the New England Patriots. He’s either been injured or ineffectual, and he may need to move to right tackle to rejuvenate his career.
The Giants need a franchise left tackle to protect their franchise quarterback, and Georgia Bulldogs left tackle Andrew Thomas would be a big upgrade to their protection.
In a draft class that’s looking full of talent on the offensive line, Thomas is the crown jewel of the position. He’s adept at both run and pass protection, is powerful and played in a scheme at Georgia which prepared him well for life in the NFL.
That gives Thomas to the ability to start immediately. There’s no need to wait for him to develop skills for the pros. He already has them all from Georgia.
Thomas is also the sort of player whose weaknesses are more areas he’s average in rather than any actual liability. He’s not explosively quick but he isn’t slow, he’s not great at pulling on plays but he isn’t incompetent, his technique sometimes get a bit uneven but it isn’t a bad habit as opposed to just an occasional bad play.
Thomas is worth a pick in the top five selections, and the Giants make too much sense.
Jones had ball security issues with a whopping 18 fumbles (11 lost) during the season in only 13 games. If Jones gets hit, fumbling is going to be a big concern. Better protection will be the top priority for the Giants if they want to start improving next season.
Sometimes the obvious choice is the correct one. The Giants need a tackle, and the best tackle in the draft would be right there waiting for them to select him.
Sometimes, it easily fits together.