Charting Jaxson Dart’s progress may be the priority for many when the New York Giants start training camp, but a so-called “boring” player is actually a bigger storyline than the rookie quarterback.
Oft-injured left tackle Andrew Thomas should command more attention than Dart, according to Giants.com Managing Editor Matt Citak. He admitted “my answer might be a little more boring, but I’m going with Andrew Thomas. Over the last two seasons, we have seen what happens to the offensive line when Thomas goes down with an injury. He was an All-Pro left tackle in 2022, and in his 16 games he’s played over the last two years, he’s played well. We didn’t see Thomas do much during the spring as he continued his rehab from last year’s foot injury. Getting the franchise left tackle back on the field and preparing him for the regular season is one of the biggest things to keep an eye in training camp.”
It’s a strong argument since securing the blindside will be key for the Giants once Dart takes the reins from veteran 10-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson. The latter’s presence means Dart is still more likely to begin his debut campaign on the bench, so his camp performances will only be the most newsworthy if the former Ole Miss standout shows something truly special after rookies report for camp on Tuesday, July 15.
Thomas will report with veterans a week later, and he’s somebody the Giants absolutely need to return to his peak levels. He’s still the best candidate to play arguably the second-most important position in football, even though the Giants have more intriguing depth at the tackle spots this year.
Andrew Thomas Still Key for Giants
No matter if the starting quarterback is Wilson, former No. 1 pick Jameis Winston or Dart, getting their best pass-protector onto the field more often remains key for the Giants. Thomas is somebody Big Blue can trust to secure the edge when he’s fully healthy and on form.
A notable example occurred last season against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, when Thomas boxed out rookie pass-rusher Dallas Turner on a rep highlighted by Nick Falato of SB Nation’s Big Blue View.
At least the #Giants still have Andrew Thomas.
As good as this was, the block was an isolated example of Thomas’ excellence. He also gave up four sacks, 16 pressures and a quartet of QB hits across just six starts, per Pro Football Focus.
Playing hurt didn’t help, with Thomas eventually needing surgery to fix a Lisfranc injury. Surgery cost him 11 games after he was sidelined for seven in 2023.
He knows he needs to be available more often because the 26-year-old is a tone-setter for the physical brand of football the Giants want to play. This shows up most in the running game, when Thomas makes blocks like this thump delivered against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, per Falato.
Andrew Thomas 💪🏾
There isn’t another offensive lineman on the roster able to dominate the way Thomas can. Not even with beefy Jermaine Eluemunor able to play both tackle spots and Evan Neal undergoing a steady transition to guard, but also having experience at left tackle from his collegiate days with Alabama.
The Giants also signed veteran James Hudson III in free agency, before using a fifth-round pick to draft a potential steal. Depth behind Thomas is certainly stronger than it was when he was lost last season, but the Giants will still want him in the lineup more often.
Particularly if Dart is promoted ahead of schedule.
Giants Need Secure Jaxson Dart Plan
Wilson was signed to be QB1 and he’s suitably impressed this offseason, but the clock is still ticking toward Dart’s first start. Some believe it will be early, while others expect Wilson to keep the job until later in the season.
Among them, The Draft Network’s Jaime Eisner is “targeting Week 13 against the New England Patriots.” Eisner thinks Giants head coach Brian Daboll will want to expose Dart to the starting role before the team’s bye week.
After Week 14, Eisner anticipates “the Giants to throw roughly 32.50 times per game after averaging 32.62 passing attempts per game over the last two seasons.”
That’s a lot of pass attempts for Dart and a lot of exposure to some of the NFL’s most disruptive edge-rushers. The risk will only be worth taking if Thomas is injury free and still playing at a high level.
Finding out if he can do both will begin at training camp and ultimately have a greater impact on the Giants’ 2025 season than Dart’s ascension.
