With the New York Giants‘ first pre-season game scheduled for Thursday, the offensive line will finally have the opportunity to gel in a live-action game. We will get a first hand look at new left tackle Nate Solder, rookie Will Hernandez, newly acquired guard Patrick Omameh, and the experiment at right tackle in Ereck Flowers.
In this article, we will focus on Hernandez, who has seemed to be transparent during training camp. With offensive lineman, the less you hear about them the the better they are generally performing. For example, Flowers has been a frequent flyer on the concern list, while Hernandez has been seldom spoke of the past few weeks.
9. Will Hernandez is exactly as advertised. While he could struggle with some of the quicker interior DL this year, he won't lose to the bull rush. A deep go route catch by OBJ that made Twitter rounds recently sneakily showed Hernandez stonewalling the blitzing end coming free.
— Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL) August 2, 2018
Hernandez is a bullish player capable of stopping a defensive tackle or blitzing linebacker in their tracks. His power and upper-body strength will ultimately be his lifeblood in his rookie season, as the speed of the NFL will take time to adapt to.
Will Hernandez: " Speed is different in NFL, game speed is faster."
— The Giant Insider Podcast and Newspaper (@GiantInsider) July 30, 2018
What should we expect to see from Will Hernandez in the New York Giants’ first pre-season game?
Herenandez will see his first NFL action on Thursday, and we shouldn’t expect it to go swimmingly. The Cleveland Browns have a solid defensive line and will give the Giants’ newly constructed line a run for its money. He will likely need several games to adjust, but we can expect to see him thrive in the run game. His strength will allow him to move interior defenders and flush the pocket for running back Saquon Barkley.
According to Giants.com, Hernandez has not looked out of place as a rookie. He appears experienced and willing to learn at every moment. Being positioned next to Solder will provide him with help and experience on an NFL offensive line.
Additionally, it’s said that Hernandez is a bit cranky on the field. Finally…some passion in the trenches.
Shurmur: “It is kind of a good thing in our sport. A lot of parts in our culture that is not admired. Certainly in our sport it is something that we value. Cranky is good.â€