
The New York Giants offensive line outlook in 2022
By: Charlie Vakassian
The Giants struggled immensely in 2021, and one of the biggest issues was the offensive line. Left tackle Andrew Thomas was excellent, but every other position on the line was brutally bad or below average.
RT Nate Solder is flat-out washed and he will likely retire, C Billy Price was below average, and Matt Skura/Will Hernandez was simply bad at the guard spots. Whoever is hired as the next GM will have to essentially rebuild 80% of the line.
Here are the top two paths to building a quality offensive line and the prospects that would fit the best.
Draft Options
Luckily for the Giants, the draft is chock full of high-quality offensive linemen. There are several players vying for the right to be the first lineman selected. The big names at tackle are Ikem Ekwonu, Evan Neal, and Charles Cross. Ekwonu is the most versatile and has shown the ability to be a nasty road grader at guard or tackle in the run game. Neal is the most physically impressive, at 6’7″ and 350 pounds, he is incredibly agile for his size. Cross has the best football IQ of the three and is excellent at picking up stunts and blitzes from opposing linemen. At guard, Kenyon Green is the clear leader of the pack, unless you count Ekwonu. Green has an explosive stance and uses his immense strength to win at the point of attack. At the center position, Tyler Linderbaum is the hands-down best prospect at the position in a very long time. Weighing in at just under 290 pounds, he has amazing speed and athleticism, moving to the second level when blocking ridiculously fast. He is also one of the toughest players in college football, routinely taking his assigned block down to the ground.
Free Agency/Trade Options
As previously stated in other position overviews, the Giants have almost no cap space, so they will be shopping in the cheap section, even when cuts are made. Some names to keep an eye on include guys like Laken Tomlinson and Ted Karras at guard, and Eric Fisher and Riley Reiff at the tackle spots. The trade market is unlikely to be used, although we could see a mid to late pick sent for a swing lineman, similar to the trade made for Ben Bredeson before last season.
Concluding Thoughts
This is the most pressing need for the Giants without a question. At least one of the first-round picks they possess has to be used on an offensive lineman, and another early pick should be used on one too. Two new starters have to be added at a bare minimum. Part of the reason Daniel Jones has been so bad is that he never has time to stay in the pocket and make his reads. With better talent in the trenches, hopefully, the Giants can lock down the offensive line and get a better long-term reading on Jones.
