What Will Hernandez Brings To The New York Giants’ Offensive Line

May 11, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants guard Will Hernandez seen during rookie mini camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY SPORTS

Drafting offensive guard Will Hernandez might have been one of the biggest steals in the most recent NFL Draft. Luckily, it was the New York Giants who managed to grab him early int he second-round. Herenandez played his college ball at UTEP, where his team finished 2017, 0-16. While his team may have lost hope and given up, Hernandez wasn’t built to simply leave effort on the field.

The Giants’ guard comes from a broken home. One that forced his family to move from a house to a glorified shed – a place that Hernandez couldn’t even stand completely upright it was so small. His battles were far greater at home than on the field, but his frustration and anger has boiled over into the game he loves. His ferocity and intimidation when the pads come on is admirable; quarterback Eli Manning stated earlier in mini-camp that Will has already been in more than five fights.

What does the UTEP product bring to the New York Giants’ offensive line?

Hernandez brings the mentality of a “hog mollie.” He’s a mauler with the passion to only stop when the whistles have blown and his teammates are dragging him off his assignment. His attitude and demeanor on the field is exactly what you want in an offensive lineman, and the Giants managed to steal him in the second-round.

Former Giants, Chris Snee, was compared to the bullish lineman:

“I have no issues with that comparison,” Snee told the New York Post recently. “I’d like to think I was a better athlete than he is but he’s a mauler, a road-grader, everything from that aspect you’re looking for in an interior lineman.

While Snee might have been a better athlete, there’s no way he was more angry. Hernandez is a big man with stocky arms and a solid center of gravity. He will hold back defensive lineman all day long to give Manning the time he needs to operate the offense. Of course, there will likely be rookie hiccups along the way, especially against more talented defenses, but if he can recognize the schemes and disguises, Big Blue might have stumbled upon a diamond in the rough.