The New York Giants’ offense as a whole is not filled with elite talent, but they still have left tackle Andrew Thomas, who was ranked as the 29th-best player in the NFL heading into the 2024 season by Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson:
“He has elite pass-blocking chops and had brought his run blocking to a similar level in 2022 before injuries derailed him in 2023,” Monson wrote. “If Thomas bounces back and enjoys a healthy season, while having some better players alongside him on the Giants’ line, he is well worthy of this ranking.”
Andrew Thomas is one of the best players in the game when healthy
As Monson noted, Thomas dealt with numerous injuries last season, including a hamstring strain he suffered in Week 1 that kept him out for seven weeks. His absence was felt tremendously, as the offensive line faltered without him. The Giants allowed 85 sacks last season, which was by far the most allowed by an NFL team last year.
In contrast, the Giants were sacked 49 times in the 2022 season when Thomas was healthy. Thomas’ efforts led him to being named Second-team All-Pro, and New York made the postseason for the first time in over a decade.
A healthy Thomas in 2024 would be massive for the Giants, as he is one of the best overall players in the game and a top player at his position when he is on the field. The All-Pro tackle will have some extra help this season, as the Giants added Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor in free agency.
The hope is that Evan Neal can also make strides in his game after a rough first two NFL seasons to further enhance the offensive line, and that center John Michael Schmitz will also make big improvements in year two of his NFL career.
- Giants claim hard-hitting safety off waivers from Packers
- Giants re-sign veteran fullback to practice squad
- Giants bring back preseason standout linebacker on practice squad
Building a stronger offensive line is key to rebuilding a contender
The struggles on the offensive line last season were a big factor in New York’s rough season, as they finished 6-11 and without their starting quarterback Daniel Jones the second half of the season due to a torn ACL. Further a result of their down year, the Giants made a coaching change on the offensive line, as Bobby Johnson was replaced with former Raiders offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo at the start of the offseason with the hope that better on-field results will follow.
The Giants still lack premiere talent elsewhere on offense, as they have a very young and unproven receiving corps and lost running back Saquon Barkley to the rival Philadelphia Eagles in free agency.
Those will be the areas that the organization will need to address over the next few seasons, but building a stronger offensive line is a good starting point to rebuilding a playoff contender, and having Thomas healthy for the season should improve the play of the O-line significantly.
