Breaking down the Giants at OL: Depth chart, battles and keys to success entering 2020 NFL training camp

As NFL training camp is only a few weeks away, new head coach Joe Judge is certainly ready to get in the building with his players to start evaluating and putting together his roster.

GM Dave Gettleman made some big improvements to the roster on both sides of the ball, which will lead to some heated camp competition.

So over the next few weeks, we’ll look at some of those position groups as well as some key players who will be pivotal in the Giants' success or failure during the 2020 season. Let’s now pivot to a group that continues to be in flux, as Big Blue tries to find the right unit…

OFFENSIVE LINE DEPTH CHART (in order)

- LT: Nate Solder, Matt Peart, Chad Slade
- LG: Will Hernandez, Shane Lemieux (rookie)
- C: Spencer Pulley
- RG: Kevin Zeitler, Kyle Murphy (rookie)
- RT: Andrew Thomas (rookie), Cam Fleming, Nick Gates

2019 REVIEW

Gettleman said that he would be fixing the Giants’ woeful line when he became GM two years ago and, well, it wasn’t really fixed last season. But improvements were definitely made.

Let’s take Zeitler for example. A great addition to the line from the Olivier Vernon trade with the Cleveland Browns, the veteran guard came right in and was solid on the field. According to Pro Football Focus, Zeitler graded above 70.0 in pass and run blocking in 2019. Sticking with the guards, Hernandez was average with a 58.4 overall PFF grade, as his sophomore season showed some progress but nothing to write home about.

It was the tackles – Solder and newcomer Mike Remmers – who were the most disappointing, though. Together, these two allowed 97 pressures, which was the worst in the NFL. Solder had the most of any player in the league with 57. And that’s coming from a man who was paid $13 million last season.

There were some surprises, like that of Gates who stepped in nicely at the end of the season and provided much-needed depth. But overall, the Giants were 17^th in the league in pass blocking and 25^th in run blocking, per Football Outsiders. That’s not going to cut it, however, that’s better than what this unit produced in 2018.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but Gettleman and the Giants knew going into the offseason that work needed to be done to upgrade the group.

CAMP BATTLE TO WATCH

The biggest spotlight will, of course, be on the fourth overall pick in Thomas. The Giants had their pick of the litter back in April, and after thorough scouting, they believed Thomas was their tackle of the future to protect Jones.

But then there’s the veteran Fleming, who joined forces with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett once again after his tenure in Dallas with the Cowboys. Fleming didn’t join the Giants to be a backup, though drafting Thomas puts him in that current position on the depth chart. He played well at multiple line positions for the Cowboys, and he’s hoping to find a more prominent role in New York now.

Watching the highly-touted rookie and the veteran going head-to-head in camp at that right tackle position will be fun to watch. The Giants want to test Thomas early on, and Fleming should provide good competition.

THREE KEYS TO 2020 SUCCESS

1. The old Solder shows up: Solder is going to be the Giants’ left tackle to start the season, even though Thomas will likely assume that role once the Giants can get out of the veteran's contract after the year (Solder would be a $6.5 million dead cap hit if he were cut). Jones can’t be pressured that much from his blindside again, so if Solder steps up and finds the old, New England Patriots version of his game, the Giants will benefit for sure.

2. Thomas plays as advertised: Speaking of Thomas, he’ll need to answer to some skeptics who believe the Giants should’ve taken Tristan Wirfs or Jedrick Wills instead at No. 4. Thomas grades well in both pass and run blocking situations, but the real test will be that opening week matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. Can Thomas, who the Giants have raved about since drafting him, show out and be consistent throughout the season? That’s why he was drafted in the first place.

3. Get sturdy at center: You might have noticed Halapio wasn’t on the depth chart. That’s because most Giants fans forget that he is actually a free agent right now. The Giants never extended a new contract his way since his Achilles injury, though he’s been posting to social media to show that he is healthy. Pulley is the only one on the roster at the moment, so it is believed the Giants will bring him in during camp to win back his position. If not, does Pulley have no competition? Does Gates try to shift over to center? The Giants need a consistent presence there, not just one that has a cake walk through camp. If they can figure that out, the line looks pretty good to start the year. Oh and don't sleep on Lemieux. The Oregon guard could shift over as well.