The NY Giants will likely turn to the 2022 NFL Draft to replace struggling, and high-priced, veteran offensive tackle Nate Solder
Nate Solder is entering his final weeks in an NY Giants uniform.
At age 33, Solder is in the midst of one of the worst seasons of his career, having surrendered over 30 pressures, over five sacks, and garnered an overall grade from Pro Football Focus of just 57.5.
Meanwhile, moving on from Solder would create upwards of $4 million in additional spending flexibility under the salary cap, for the cap-strapped Giants this offseason.
Fortunately for the NY Giants, who if the season ended today would own two of the top-10 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, this is a class with several top tackles projected to go off the board in the first-round.
“This class is probably at least on the same level as the 2020 tackle group,” an AFC personnel executive tells FanSided.
In all likelihood, the NY Giants will turn to the NFL Draft next spring to mine a bookended to burgeoning former No. 4 overall draft pick, left tackle Andrew Thomas, to replace Solder in 2022 and beyond.
Given the state of the NY Giants’ offensive line, there’s a real possibility the organization uses both its first-round picks for help along the line.
Here are four NFL Draft prospects the NY Giants can target to replace Nate Solder:
Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
Neal has a chance to be the first offensive lineman off the board next spring.
At 6-foot-7 and 350 pounds, Neal has the size, explosivness, and athleticism to anchor an NFL offensive line for the next decade.
Neal’s combination of twitchy feet and his temperament as an aggressive hand-puncher make him a truly dominant pass-protector, which the NY Giants desperately need along the offensive line.
According to Pro Football Focus, Neal produced a 73.1 overall grade in 2020, and seems to be playing at an even higher level this season. If the NY Giants wind up selecting in the top-five picks, and Neal is available, there’s a good chance his name winds up on New York’s draft card.
Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
Similar to Thomas, Cross has cut his teeth in the pressure cooker of the SEC, facing some of the nation’s most dominant pass-rushers, which could prepare him to make the leap against the NFL’s premier rushers off the edge.
“When everything shakes out, Cross probably goes off the board somewhere in the top-15,” the executive says.
Cross has the ideal length that offensive line coaches covet, because he can use his wingspan to knock edge rushers off their path to the pocket. At 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds, Cross is almost immovable in pass-protection.
If there’s an area Cross needs to build on, it is as a run-blocker. But, his size and strong base give him the opportunity to walk into a starting role along an NFL line.
Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State
Petit-Frere, coming off anchoring the Ohio State offensive line and facing some of the premier pass-rushers the Big Ten and this year’s class have to offer, could find his way into the top-15 picks.
One of the most stable contributors along one of the nation’s premier offensive lines, Petit-Frere finished the college football season with a 76.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
An added bonus for the NY Giants, or any team that drafts Petit-Frere, is the fact that the Ohio State product has experience playing both tackle positions. This season, Petit-Frere allowed only two sacks and two quarterback hits through 12 games.
Position versatility and consistency could push Petit-Frere up draft boards, and make him a solid option for the NY Giants.
Jaxson Kirkland, OT, Washington
Kirkland has improved each of his three seasons as a starter along the Huskies’ offensive line, capping the 2021 campaign with a career-best 74.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
This season, Kirkland allowed only three sacks and three quarterback hits in 404 pass-protection snaps along the Washington offensive line.
Kirkland’s explosivness in getting to the second-level makes him a well-rounded run-blocker and his fluidity in pass-protection make him a tough draw for opposing pass-rushers off the edge.
At 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds, Kirkland likely could be had towards the bottom of the first-round or early second-round of the NFL Draft, which could make him the kind of player the NY Giants target as part of a trade down or in addition to picking a tackle in the top-five picks.