New York Giants’ OL coach Marc Colombo details Andrew Thomas’ issues

The New York Giants’ kryptonite this season has been left tackle Andrew Thomas, who they spent the fourth overall pick on to solidify the left side of the offensive line.

Thomas, who came from Georgia with high expectations based on his technique and strength, has severely underwhelmed during his rookie campaign. As reported by multiple analysts and former professionals, his tendencies and technique have been all over the place, shooting out of his stance too early and not utilizing his hands properly. Thomas was once a highly regarded tackle for his ability to mirror opposing pass rushers and keep his feet and hands connected.

The New York Giants are doing everything they can to turn things around from Thomas:

Everything he has done so far in 2020 has been the exact opposite of what the Giants drafted him to do, but offensive line coordinator Marc Colombo is confident they can solve his issues.

Columbo stated that a left tackle’s job is to block a defensive end 1-on-1 in the NFL, and losing a majority of the time is simply unacceptable. The Giants aren’t ready to bench him just yet and allow him to watch a new competitor at left tackle, as they feel confident he will make strides in the coming weeks.

Colombo went on to say that “timing” is Thomas’s primary issue. He’s jumping out of his sets too early and punching too quickly, which is throwing off his technique and allowing edge rushers to beat him inside and with speed rushes on the outside.

Through seven weeks, Thomas has a 58.3 overall grade, with a 43.8 pass-blocking grade and a 64.9 run-blocking grade. Last week against Philadelphia, he was a liability in pass blocking but played well against the run.

His run blocking has consistently increased in efficiency the past few weeks, but pass blocking has taken a significant dip. Evening out those numbers is the goal, and he has plenty of time to refine his abilities and make up for his deficient start to the 2020 season.

A former coach of Thomas, Paul Alexander, spoke with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. What he has seen from the young tackle has made him upset, as his technique has completely changed from Georgia.

“When he was at Georgia, he controlled guys with his hands. So I see something completely different than I saw at Georgia. And my question is: Why are you doing different things than you did? I mean, he was the best tackle in the country. And right now it’s like, ‘Oh my God!’”