What would be the ideal offensive line configuration for the NY Giants?

Right Tackle- Nate Solder

There are some that believe there is no place for Nate Solder on the NY Giants after a strong emphasis on hog mollies in the draft. His play has been anything but spectacular since becoming the highest-paid offensive lineman by Dave Gettleman in 2018. Why then should he get the first chance at right tackle for the G-Men?

Solder is a very capable offensive tackle in the NFL when he is on his game. In 2018, he registered the best game for an offensive lineman against the 49ers with a 92.6 grade by PFF. His first season with Big Blue wasn’t terrible, as he was ranked as the 16th-best left tackle.

Last season was a down-year for Solder. He allowed a season-high 57 pressures. Dave Gettleman admitted before the draft that his major free-agent acquisition needs to play better.

“Nate had a rough year last year, nobody is denying that, and certainly he is not,” Gettleman said. “We’re going to bring in people to compete.” Bringing in Cam Fleming from Dallas and drafting the right tackle of the future in the third round backed up Gettleman’s words.

If Solder’s performance doesn’t improve in 2020, the G-Men now have quality depth at the position. He will need to earn a starting position during the preseason. ManyNY  Giants fans will be rooting for him to play well.

Last season was a difficult one for Solder off the field. His sub-par play during the 2019 season could be attributed to this. Nate Solder has done tremendous work off the field and has been nominated twice for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Can Solder bounce back in 2020? I wouldn’t be shocked if he did. This would allow Big Blue to march out their ideal offensive line in their season opener:

Final projected ideal starting line group:

Left Tackle: Andrew Thomas

Left Guard: Will Hernandez

Center: Nick Gates

Right Guard: Kevin Zeitler

Right Tackle: Nate Solder