Happy Holidays, everybody! The Holiday season is a joyous and exciting time. In a football sense, the holidays are when the playoff push starts around the league. On New Year's Day 2023, the Giants kicked off the year by romping the Colts 38-10 to clinch a playoff berth.
Unfortunately for Big Blue, when they take on the Eagles in Philadelphia on Christmas Day and the Rams in New Jersey on New Year's Eve, the games will only have playoff meaning for one squad, and that team is not the Giants.
If the Giants want the holidays to bring meaningful games in 2024, they will need to fix a bunch of roster holes, none bigger than the offensive line. Here are five offensive linemen Joe Schoen needs to study up on before the 2024 NFL Draft;
5. Penn State's Olu Fashanu
Before I dig into the prospects, let's discuss the current state of the Giants' offensive line. Andrew Thomas, a 2020 first-round pick, is solidified as New York's left tackle of the future, while Evan Neal, a Big Blue 2022 first-round pick, will likely get another chance to prove his worth at right tackle in 2024 despite his immense early career struggles. John Michael Schmitz, Big Blue's 2023 second-round pick, looks like the center of the future. The two guard spots are wide open.
The Giants have spent a ton of draft capital on the offensive line in recent years, so it would be a better use of resources for New York to sign veteran tackles to stabilize the offensive line. If Schoen decides to move Neal to guard, drafting a tackle comes into play. He indicated earlier this season he's not inclined to do that, but we can't rule it out.
Olu Fashanu, who declared for the NFL Draft on Friday, is the consensus top tackle on the board. Fashanu has not allowed a single sack in 1,349 offensive snaps in three seasons at Penn State. Fashanu's best ability is pass blocking, which has been the Giants Achilles heel for the last decade.
Standing at 6-6 and 319 pounds, the Maryland native has the size, strength, and athleticism to play Pro Bowl-caliber football from Day 1.
4. Notre Dame's Joe Alt
Joe Alt is the No. 2 offensive lineman on most expert's boards, and some have him as No. 1. Alt, who will definitely be a Top 15 pick and likely a Top 10 pick, was PFF's No. 1 graded offensive tackle in 2023 among linemen who played at least 50 percent of their team's snaps, recording an elite 90.8 grade. In each of the last two seasons, he recorded a grade above 90, which is considered elite.
The 6-8, 322-pounder has allowed just four sacks in three seasons, three of which were in his freshman season. He has only played left tackle at Notre Dame, but like Fashanu, he can play either side of the line.
3️⃣5️⃣
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 14, 2023
Unanimous.
Joe Alt finishes up his tremendous Irish career earning Unanimous All-America honors, marking the 35th time in program history an Irish player has been named an Unanimous All-American.
Congrats, @JoeAlt7#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/7Osx4O8I3a
Alt was a first-team All-American in 2022 and a unanimous All-American in 2023 and has an athletic bloodline. His father, John, played for the Kansas City Chiefs, and his older brother, Mark, is a pro hockey defenseman who has played for three NHL teams.
3. Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga
Oregon State had one of the best offensive lines in football in 2023, and Taliese Fuaga was the main reason. The 6-6, 334-pounder was dominant in 2023, allowing just two hits and no sacks.
Oregon State operated a run-heavy offense under Jonathan Smith in 2023, which tends to breed nasty, physical offensive linemen. Fuaga definitely developed a nasty streak.
Taliese Fuaga is a bad bad man and I have a hard time believing this isn’t a top 10 in april.
— Logan Armstrong (@loganarm10) December 20, 2023
When you turn on the tape, you’ll fall in love with the athleticism, run blocking and physicality of this RT. Shades of Trent Williams in the run blocking game. @Taliese1 pic.twitter.com/6yStPxxyey
Fuaga was PFF's second-highest-graded offensive lineman in 2023, right behind Alt. Like Fashanu, Fuaga has not allowed a sack in his three-year college career. His build and physical play style are very similar to 2021 first-round pick and current Detroit Lions right tackle Penei Sewell.
2. Duke's Graham Barton
Should he last that long, Graham Barton may be a perfect fit for the New York Giants in Round 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. The 6-5, 314-pound Blue Devil has the versatility to play both the inside and the outside.
Don’t ya just love Graham Barton’s effort and ability to sustain blocks pic.twitter.com/abWtkJVXSc
— Jordan de Lugo (@jordandelugo) December 20, 2023
As a freshman in 2020, Barton played in six games, all at center. He then transitioned to left tackle and played his final three college seasons there. Joe Schoen loves versatility, and Barton would give him just that. If Neal struggles, Barton can play right tackle, and if Neal comes into his own, Barton can play right or left guard.
1. BYU's Kingsley Suamataia
Kingsley Suamataia will not be drafted in the first round in April, unlike this article's first four offensive tackles. The 6-6, 315-pounder could be a value pick in either the second round, or even the thing round.
After spending his freshman campaign in 2021 at Oregon, Suamataia transferred to BYU in 2022 and played the final two seasons of his college career in Provo, Utah.
Kingsley Suamataia has all the makings of a first round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
— Max Chadwick (@MaxChadwickCFB) July 7, 2023
🔵 Great size (6-6, 315)
🔵 Didn’t allow a sack on 337 pass-blocking snaps in 2022
🔵 MEAN as a run-blocker
Watch the RT (#78) here throw the defender out of the club.pic.twitter.com/3yyO11mVGo
In 2022, he played right tackle before switching to left tackle in 2023 to protect the blindside of BYU's revolving door of quarterbacks. He allowed just two sacks at BYU in 1,331 offensive snaps. He would tremendously upgrade Big Blue's tackle depth, which is a massive priority for Schoen and the New York Giants this spring.