Now that training camp is underway, New York Giants fans have plenty of storylines to follow, but the offensive line remains one of the most important after Big Blue’s struggles over the last few seasons.
Last season, the Giants’ offensive line looked its best in several years under Carmen Bricillo. Now, with Mike Bloomgren taking over as the team’s new offensive line coach, the question is whether that unit can replicate last year’s success.
If the line wants to continue ascending, staying healthy is going to be a major factor. That is especially true for one All-Pro lineman in particular, who continues to earn praise at the national level whenever he’s on the field.
The Giants are a different team with Andrew Thomas on the field
Pro Football Focus recently released its Top 32 offensive tackles entering 2026. To no one's surprise, Andrew Thomas was ranked as the seventh-best tackle in the league, which is another indication of just how good the 27-year-old is when he's on the field.
Thomas tied for fourth among qualified tackles in 2025 with a 90.3 PFF grade over 13 games, allowing just 13 total pressures, including one sack, while posting a career-high 84.5 PFF run-blocking grade. When healthy, he’s arguably the best blindside protector in the league. However, health has been the issue, as he has eclipsed 900 snaps only once over the past five seasons.
AT is one of those players who makes everyone around him better. That’s why the biggest question surrounding Thomas has never been his ability. It’s whether he can stay on the field.
He gives the offensive line a huge boost and provides the kind of protection for Jaxson Dart that makes life much more difficult for opposing defenders. Even in practice, he impacts the game by forcing the Giants’ pass rushers to work a little harder.
That impact even carries over to practice. New head coach John Harbaugh spoke to the media after practice on Thursday and was asked how much Abdul Carter can benefit from going up against Thomas.
He said, “They talk, and it’s not just going up against each other. That’s where it starts, and then they go over the plays afterward on tape. They might talk a little at each other during practice, but afterward they’re talking about the play itself, sharing ideas, and a guy like AT will give him a lot of pointers.”
If that doesn’t tell you how valuable the All-Pro left tackle is to Big Blue, then I don’t know what does. A healthy and consistent Thomas gives the G-Men their best chance to compete and make a push for the playoffs, something that is undoubtedly on Harbaugh’s mind entering his first season in New York.
Add us as a preferred source on Google