The New York Giants made Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas the fourth overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Here are five things to know about the newest Giant.
A winner
Thomas (6’5, 320) was a First Team All-American in 2018 and 2019 and was a two time All-SEC selection. He was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in 2019.
Durability is his middle name
Thomas is durable. He started all 15 games at right tackle for the Bulldogs as a freshman straight out of Georgia’s Pace Academy. He moved to left tackle for his sophomore season and started 13 games earning second-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-SEC honors.
Thomas missed just one game in 2018 with an ankle injury. He started all 13 games in 2019 as a junior. The only game he missed was the bowl game to prepare for the draft.
Good stock
Thomas is the sixth offensive lineman from Georgia to be selected in the first round in the common draft era. He is the third Bulldog offensive lineman selected in the first round since 2000 and the first since Isaiah Wynn (New England) in 2018.George Foster (2003, Denver) is the other.
Ideal fit?
Thomas may be he best fit for the Giants. He began this draft season as the top tackle prospect and apparently the Giants didn’t forget that. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein describes Thomas as “a gritty player with above-average recovery talent to ‘get the job done’ when his process breaks down. He’s a Day 1 starter who comes in well-coached and technically savvy.”
Analytics say…
Thomas was Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 offensive tackle among 249 qualifiers last year. He is excellent in pass protection, allowing just five sacks in 1,021 pass-blocking snaps in his 41 career games at Georgia.
