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New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Picking One NY Giants O-lineman for New 'Protector of the Year' Honors

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Alex House | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 11:00 PM ET

Although offensive linemen have not received the same formal recognition that other position groups do, their value is obvious. They are the glue that holds an offense together, often determining how far a team can go.

New York Giants fans do not need the NFL to introduce an award to tell them how important it is to have sturdy protection. They know firsthand the deluge of problems a leaky O-Line can bring to the field.

Nevertheless, the league is unveiling a new accolade, the Protector of the Year award, which will acknowledge the best offensive lineman of the season. While the Giants’ unit is shrouded in mystery from an overall standpoint, there is one Giants player who could legitimately take home the hardware.

Assuming he is healthy for the 2025 campaign, left tackle Andrew Thomas is undoubtedly New York's top candidate to be nominated for the award, and there is a serious case to be made that he is also the most important member of this team.

If the 26-year-old left tackle is manning Russell Wilson's blind side, then the line has a chance to be better than it has been in years.

Although Thomas missed more than half of the 2024 season, he still made his presence known when on the field. The versatile talent was the Giants' only lineman to post 70-plus grades in both pass-blocking and run-blocking last year, per Pro Football Focus, notching marks of 71.8 and 73.8, respectively.

However, that is not close to what Thomas can do when at his best.

Will Andrew Thomas bounce back for NY Giants?

Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

The 2020 fourth overall draft pick only allowed three sacks and tallied an 89.1 PFF grade on his way to seizing a 2022 Second-Team All-Pro selection. He logged a career-high 1,049 snaps that season.

New York head coach Brian Daboll desperately hopes Thomas can provide similar contributions in the trenches this year. Wilson can feed the ball downfield to his Malik Nabers-led wide receiver group, but only if he has enough time to operate in the pocket. No. 78 must keep the 36-year-old upright.

Andrew Thomas will arguably become even more crucial if Daboll decides to start rookie Jaxson Dart late in the season. A young quarterback will struggle to properly develop when under constant duress. The burden is on Thomas to ease his NFL transition and give him the best chance to flourish.

By all accounts, the sixth-year left tackle is well suited for that crucial role. There is one huge problem, though. He cannot shake the injury bug.

Thomas played just 16 games across the last two campaigns, suffering a Lisfranc injury last October. He is still recovering from the surgery and is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform list at training camp.

This foot issue is the latest physical hindrance Thomas has encountered in his career. He previously battled ankle and hamstring injuries. It is presently unclear if the 6-foot-5, 315-pounder will be ready for Week 1.

The additional rest should only help, right? A healthy Andrew Thomas may be the Giants' only hope of deploying an effective offensive line in 2025.

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This article first appeared on New York Giants on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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