After eight weeks of regular season play, the New York Giants have seen plenty of ups and downs in regards to the offensive line. Left tackle Nate Solder has been inconsistent and a liability at times to rookie quarterback Daniel Jones’ blindside. Finding a way to supplement Solder’s deficiencies this season has been a challenge, and it has led to 15 total turnovers for Jones, who leads the league in the category.
However, while Solder has been lackluster, others have shown resiliency and promise.
Ranking the New York Giants offensive linemen:
1.) Kevin Zeitler
Zeitler, who was acquired in the Olivier Vernon trade with the Cleveland Browns, has earned a grade of over 70.0 through eight weeks, as per PFF. The tackles have been struggling for Big Blue, but their guards have been fantastic. Zeitler has been nursing a shoulder injury since the beginning of the season, but he has fought through it to become the Giants’ best offensive lineman.
The Giants own the rights to Zeitler for the next two seasons, and his cap hit is very team-friendly. His cap hit will be $12.5 million next season and $14.5 million in 2021. Compare that deal to Andrew Norwell, who’s averaging $15 million per season, and you can see what great value Zeitler provides.
2.) Will Hernandez
The second-year guard out of UTEP has been stellar for the Giants. Not hearing an offensive lineman’s name is usually a great thing, and Hernandez has been a ghost so far this season. He’s been on a rock next to the unreliable Solder and has saved Jones’ butt on numerous occasions.
Hernandez is only in the second year of his rookie deal, which provides value in of itself. He’s the future at left guard for the Giants and will likely be paid accordingly in the future, but the Giants must take advantage of his low cap-hit now.
3.) Nate Solder
Solder has been anything but good this season, allowing seven sacks through the first eight weeks. Jones has been blindsided frequently at the expense of Solder, and he realizes how poor his play has been. Solder and Remmers have combined to allow 58 quarterback pressures this season, which is a severe issue for Big Blue and has many scratching their heads.
The Giants will likely stick with Solder moving forward due to the lack of quality left tackles in the NFL, but they will need more from him to be a competitive team.
4.) Mike Remmers
The plug-in right tackle has hurt the Giants at times and saved them at others. I don’t expect Remmers to remain with the team beyond the 2019 season. Allocating draft capital or cap space to sign a quality right tackle is the plan for Gettleman, who desperately needs to upgrade the position. Remmers has a PFF grade of 61.6.
5.) Jon Halapio
Halapio has been plain bad this season, and general manager Dave Gettleman will undoubtedly look to upgrade the center position next offseason. He sits in last place with a PFF grade of 52.1, ranking in the bottom tier of starters in the NFL. Halapio might be an even more significant liability than Solder and Remmers at the tackle position. The Giants currently rank as the 17th best unit in the NFL.