Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive
Dave Gettleman said it all when he explained why he picked Georgia OT Andrew Thomas.
"We wanted to fix this offensive line once and for all," he said. He's been talking about it since his first day as the Giants general manager, and this might have been his most significant step.
In the 6-5, 315-pound Thomas they get a guy they believe will be their left tackle for the next 5-10 years - even if he ends up as the starting right tackle as a rookie. A three-year starter at Georgia, he has every physical trait needed in an anchor tackle, and the necessary experience in the SEC.
Yes, he wasn't the tackle that everyone expected. Iowa's super-athletic Tristan Wirfs seemed to be the Giants' favorite for a long time, and Alabama's Jedrick Wills seemed to be in the mix late. But all along, scouts and executives have said the Big Four tackles were virtually interchangeable and the order they were ranked in depended on who you would ask. For a team that needed a tackle, it was hard to go wrong with any of them.
And the Giants were smart to take the top one on their board.
GRADE: A-minus.