New York Giants: What Kevin Zeitler can do for the offensive line

New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler
Oct 15, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Cleveland Browns offensive guard Kevin Zeitler (70) walks off the field after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

On paper, the New York Giants offensive line looks fantastic, but we haven’t seen them perform on the field yet with quality defensive lineman scheming their way into the backfield. Can they handle stunts and delayed blitzes? Will their chemistry be up to par early on in the season?

There are plenty of questions that require answers, but there’s one thing we can conclude – the Giants’ line is far better today than it was one year ago.

On this day last year, the Giants still had Ereck Flowers on the offensive line. While he was featuring at right tackle this time around, he proved to be useless there as well. Not to mention the signing of Patrick Omameh, who was cut after week five. General manager Dave Gettleman made a few bone-headed mistakes, but he was quick to fix them and add a different player to find the right combination.

The left side of the line ended up performing quite well after Nate Solder adapted to his new role protecting Eli Manning. Will Hernandez flashed Pro Bowl potential, and he’s preparing to take a massive jump in 2019. Center Jon Halapio will return from a broken leg suffered early on in 2018, but the biggest acquisition this offseason has been right guard, Kevin Zeitler.

The New York Giants brought in a huge upgrade:

The former Cleveland Brown was acquired in the Olivier Vernon trade, and he will make an immediate impact for the Giants. If you recall, Gettleman claimed Jamon Brown off waivers from the Los Angeles Rams. Brown improved the efficiency and continuity of the line significantly, and he only ranked as the #62 guard in the league.

Zeitler was the #6 overall guard last season, which only indicates the improvement he will bring. The 6-4, 315-pound chiseled lineman looks like a miniature version of the hulk, and he sure plays like it. While we can’t assume he will transform a perennially bad offensive front for the Giants,  we can hope his No. 1 pass-protection grade will help Manning exponentially.

The 29-year-old didn’t expect to be traded from the Browns, but he’s “excited” to be in Blue now, stating:

“A big surprise,” Zeitler said, according to the New York Daily News. “I didn’t see that coming. I’m glad to be here. I know the Giants are a big historical organization with a lot of success with Super Bowls. No matter what anyone says, we have to put the work in once the season rolls around.”

He further commented on Saquon Barkley and his role in helping him succeed at an even higher level in 2019:

“There is no limit to what we can do,” Zeitler said. “We have a long way to go and a lot to do. We’ll see what happens once the actual season rolls around … You see (Barkley’s) highlights from the year before. I think anytime he has a chance to touch the ball, there is a chance he can break it. So it’s on us to get it done so we can do that more often.”

The offense clearly starts up front for the Giants, as Manning’s inability to escape from the pocket forced the line to be more than adequate. Hopefully, they can reach that potentially become a force in the NFL, something the Giants haven’t had in quite some time.