The New York Giants have spent years trying to upgrade the offensive line alongside All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas. It seemed like they finally accomplished that this past offseason when they signed Jermaine Eluemunor, Greg Van Roten, and Jon Runyan Jr. in free agency.
Through the first few weeks of the season, the Giants’ offensive line was performing well, and they were also fortunate to have every starter on the line through the first six weeks of the season. That was until Thomas went down with a foot injury that would end his season prematurely.
Andrew Thomas’ injury derailed the Giants’ season
Since Thomas went to injured reserve, the Giants have had to rely on Chris Hubbard, Joshua Ezeudu, and Evan Neal to make up the lost protection, which has not worked out thus far. In the six games Thomas has missed this season, the team is 0-6, and they rank dead last in overall points per game this season at 15.3.
This is now the second consecutive season where a major injury to Thomas has completely derailed a Giants season. In 2023, Thomas suffered a hamstring injury in Week 1 that took him out for seven games. By the time he returned, the Giants were already without quarterback Daniel Jones for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, and the offensive line continued to struggle as they allowed a franchise-record 85 sacks.
There’s no denying Thomas’ talent individually. He is arguably the best player at his position and provides elite pocket protection from the left side. He was a second-team All-Pro in the 2022 season, as his impact on the front lines was instrumental to the Giants’ successful season that year.
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The Giants will likely need to find better backups as insurance for injured players
However, injuries are certainly becoming a concern for the All-Pro talent. Both injuries he has suffered in the past two seasons are lower body injuries, which will likely have an effect on his on-field performance moving forward. Therefore, the Giants will likely need to make more offensive line additions in the offseason to provide insurance for a hobbled Thomas.
Their first-round pick in the draft undoubtedly should be used to address the quarterback position, and they will likely be looking to make additions in the secondary as well. However, they should also look at the available offensive linemen and potentially take one in the second or third round of the upcoming NFL Draft given Thomas’s recent injury trouble.
The Giants have very little protection for any offensive linemen that may come up with an injury. Their backup tackles include Hubbard, Neal, and Joshua Ezeudu, all guys who have endured massive struggles for New York.
They need to have a guy who is readily available and able to contribute positively in the event a player on the offensive line goes down. The Giants may need to make that area a priority once again in the offseason, which is something they were hoping was finally behind them.
