If there is one thing the New York Giants must do during the second half of the regular season, it would have to be protecting their young quarterback.
Since taking over as the starter, Jaxson Dart has been a joy to watch on the football field, despite New York sitting at 2-7 with another last-place finish in the NFC East likely. Dart has not only shown off his impressive arm talent by passing for 1,175 yards, but he has also used his legs, which can be a little nerve-wracking to watch, as he has taken some big hits during his five starts thus far and has been checked out for concussions twice.
While the G-Men would love to see Dart be a bit more cautious running the football, his success so far as the starter — and in the future — may have to do with the return of All-Pro tackle Andrew Thomas.
Andrew Thomas is proving why he’s Jaxson Dart’s most important teammate
In an article for Pro Football Focus, Bradley Locker did a midseason report of all 32 teams’ highest-graded players across the NFL, with Thomas being touted as the top player for Big Blue.
"Thomas’ comeback from a foot injury has been special to watch," Locker wrote. "He’s surrendered only eight pressures and zero sacks in his seven contests this season, including matchups with teams like the Broncos, Eagles and Chargers. All told, Thomas’ 82.6 overall PFF grade ranks fourth among qualified tackles."
As Locker alluded to, Thomas is now seven games back since returning from a foot injury he suffered last year, which forced him to miss the final 11 games of the season. The former first-round pick has since returned and has been a clear factor in Dart stringing together a stellar rookie season to this point.
While the Giants are enduring another brutal year, if Thomas can remain healthy for the rest of the season and stay on the field all of next year, his protection of Dart will only help him grow even more as an NFL quarterback.