The New York Giants surprised many when they selected Andrew Thomas with the 4th-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Although, Big Blue’s reasoning behind the pick was quite apparent. The team envisions the former Georgia standout as their future franchise left tackle to protection quarterback Daniel Jones’ blindside.
However, an ex-NFL scout apparently disagrees with that sentiment and believes that it would be in New York’s best interest to play a mid-round selection over their 1st-rounder on the left side of their line.
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Scout Believes Matt Peart is Better Suited to Play Left Tackle
It’s safe to say Jim Nagy knows a thing or two about draft prospects. The former New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks scout, as well as current-day Senior Bowl executive director and ESPN draft analyst, certainly has the resume to back up his hot takes.
Speaking of hot takes, while chatting with Zack Rosenblatt of NJ Advance Media, Nagy threw out the idea of the Giants potentially being best served by playing 3rd-round pick Matt Peart, not Andrew Thomas, at left tackle.
I would think they’d probably play Andrew Thomas at left. But if you were starting from scratch and where they got drafted from wasn’t an issue, you’d probably put Peart and left and Thomas on the right.
Nagy backed up his statement by shedding light on how rare it is to find a starting left tackle in the middle rounds. Yet, that he believes the Giants found a guy with that type of ceiling in Peart.
Usually you can’t get a guy with starting left tackle ability in the third round, and he’s got that type of upside. His feet, his length, he’s done some really good stuff in pass pro. He’s a better athlete than Andrew Thomas.
Nagy made sure to assure everyone he’s not saying that Peart is the better player of the two Giants draft picks, but that Peart simply offers more athletic abilities at the position.
He’s not as good of a football player right now but he’s a better athlete. That’s clear. That’s inarguable.
Giants’ O-Line Has a Bright Future
There’s no denying Peart’s athletic abilities. The former UConn Husky has a basketball background, while his chiseled, slender frame has led GM Dave Gettleman to peg the 315-pound freak of nature, “skinny.”
With that said, Peart is not nearly as polished as Thomas at this moment. This is why he will likely begin his NFL career on the bench, while Thomas mans one of the starting tackle spots opposite Nate Solder.
However, it’s clear by not only Nagy’s comments, but also by numerous outsider observations as well as chatter within the Giants organization, that New York believes they have the makings of a potential dominant bookend tackle duo. No matter which side of the line each player ultimately lines up at.
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Ex-Scout Believes Andrew Thomas Shouldn’t Be Giants’ Left Tackle of the Future