NY Giants’ offensive line rebuild nowhere near finished

The NY Giants believed that more weapons would ignite the offense in 2021, but ignoring the offensive line could have dire consequences

The NY Giants bet big that rebuilding the skill positions around quarterback Daniel Jones could lead to big returns in 2021 and beyond, but the foundation might not be anywhere close to set.

One year removed from averaging just 17.2 points per game last season, second-fewest in the NFL, the Giants‘ front office set out to facilitate Jones taking a major third-year leap by signing wide receiver Kenny Golladay, tight end Kyle Rudolph, and choosing versatile wide receiver Kadarius Toney in the first-round of the NFL Draft.

However, despite an offensive line that allowed Jones to withstand 45 sacks and 156 pressures in 14 games, the NY Giants did not select an offensive lineman during the draft and only made minor depth signings up front this offseason.

Will it be enough to ignite what had been a stagnant offense last season, and hasten Jones’ development?

Pro Football Focus says the NY Giants’ job is nowhere close to being done up front, ranking New York’s offensive line as the NFL’s worst as the 2021 NFL regular season approaches:

"Giants offensive linemen have combined to produce the fifth-worst overall grade in the league over the past two years, and they rank in the bottom eight in both pass blocking and run blocking.Starting left tackle Nate Solder opted out in 2020, whcih hurt the team’s depth up front. First-rounder Andrew Thomas started at left tackle and struggled to a 62.4 overall grade. His 54.7 pass-blocking grade also ranked just 82nd out of 89 qualifiers. Solder is currently in the mix to start at right tackle, a position he hasn’t played since his rookie year in 2011. In his two years in New York, Solder has posted a solid 75.7 grade and a career-low 64.9 mark. He could be a cap casualty before the season.Matt Peart, a 2020 third-rounder,  is competing at right tackle after grading out at 69.7 overall on 150 snaps as a rookie. Peart enjoyed a good career at UConn and is young at the position, so he has starting potential at some point.On the interior, Nick Gates returns after moving to center for the first time in his career in 2020. He managed just a 59.7 grade, though, ranking 29th among centers. Guard is wide open, with several players battling for the two starting spots. Will Hernandez is a three-year starter at left guard, although he hasn’t graded over 60.0 since his rookie season. Shane Lemieux played 504 snaps there last year and struggled to a 32.2 overall grade. Zach Fulton is also in the mix after recording a 63.0 overall grade last season, ranking 44th among 86 qualifying guards."

What would spark NY Giants’ offensive line to improve?

If Andrew Thomas makes legitimate strides in his second season at left tackle, as some believe he will, the NY Giants’ offensive line will certainly follow.

“I think you’ll see mass improvement from Andrew Thomas,” Offensive line guru Duke Manyweather said on FanSided’s The Matt Lombardo Show. “I think Andrew Thomas down the stretch in the second half last year found his way and got into groove. That Giants’ offensive line, and team dealt with some adversity last year with injuries and what went on with the coaching change midway through the year, and all the drama that went with that. You add in a coach like Rob Sale, a no-nonsense type of guy, I think with not only Thomas but that entire line will improve.”

But, if Peart, Lemieux, Gates, and Hernandez don’t also follow Thomas’ lead — or the former No. 4 overall pick is once again inconsistent, the questions surrounding this offense’s potential and Jones’ future will only grow louder.

Matt Lombardo is FanSided’s National NFL Insider and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday. Email Matt: Matt.Lombardo@FanSided.com, Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL