NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 01: Andrew Thomas #71 of the Georgia Bulldogs guards during the Allstate Sugar Bowl against the Texas Longhorns at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 01, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
The New York Giants finally locked in their 2020 first round selection.
Entering the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants were a team with many needs. They went 9-23 the past two years for a reason. With the defense being abysmal, general manager Dave Gettleman and new head coach Joe Judge opted to fix a longstanding problem: the offensive line. So, they used the fourth overall pick to select Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas back in April.
Nearly two months later, the Giants and Thomas agreed to terms on a four-year, $32.3 million contract, which is fully guaranteed. Additionally, Thomas will receive a $21.1 million bonus upon signing in the coming days.
Thomas viewed as the savior of the offense.
The Giants picked a good year to select an offensive lineman. Through the draft process, Thomas was viewed as one of the four top tackles in the class, but he took a backseat in terms of hype to Mekhi Becton, Jedrick Wills and Tristan Wirfs. While those three had the highest upside, Thomas was viewed as the safest of the bunch. Looking back at their disastrous selection of Ereck Flowers back in 2015 due to his “upside, the Giants made the wise decision to grab the consistently good Thomas.
New York made long-term investments on the offensive side of the ball in running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones over the past two years. While both impressed, they were held back due to the inefficiencies of the offensive line. Nate Solder was paid to like a top tackle in the league, and he was among the worst this past season. That’s where Thomas enters the fray.
Thomas is likely to begin his NFL career at right tackle, with Solder maintain his job of protecting Jones’ blindside. But Solder has said in the past that he’s open to moving to the right side of the line of scrimmage. Either way, Thomas has played both sides of the line effectively during his time at Georgia.
In his three years in Athens, Thomas started in 41-of-42 games and allowed a grand total of 37 pressures in that span. That’s the kind of blocking the Giants have been looking for since their o-line left the Big Apple in the years following their Super Bowl 46 win.
With Thomas now officially in the mix for the Giants, fans are excited to see just how much Barkley and Jones can progress entering the 2020 season, especially under new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.