Giants draft preview: Offensive tackle options for Giants on each day of the draft

The Giants might not address this position early, but could still add at some point in the draft

Over the last five years, the New York Giants have spent two first-round picks on their offensive tackle positions. Andrew Thomas was a grand slam selection, and the jury is still out on Evan Neal after two disappointing, injury-plagued years.

It seems unlikely the Giants would select an offensive tackle in the first round at No. 6 in the 2024 NFL Draft. General manager Joe Schoen will likely allow Neal to compete for the job with Carmen Bricillo as his offensive line coach in a more stable and depth-filled room. If Neal fails, Jermaine Eluemunor – who played right tackle well last year for Bricillo with the Las Vegas Raiders – will likely assume the role at right tackle.

Even so, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt would be a player I would highlight, so here’s a quick report on him as a Day 1 option:

Day 1

Joe Alt, Notre Dame

His father, John Alt, was a two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1980s and 1990s. He’s in the Chiefs Hall of Fame and was their first-round selection in 1984. Joe’s brother Mark plays in the NHL.

Joe Alt was a finalist for just about every offensive line award in college football. He was unanimously selected as an All-American, and was a team captain; he is a one of the top players in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Alt only allowed five pressures in 2023 and one sack. He has 1,105 pass-blocking snaps through three college football seasons with just 24 pressures and four sacks allowed; much of those statistics resulted in his true-freshman season (11 pressures, three sacks).

According to Pro Football Focus, Alt was the third highest-graded pass blocker in college football (of players that played at least 20% of their team’s snaps). He also received the highest offensive grade of any offensive lineman. Almost every one of his snaps came at left tackle in college.

Strengths

• Exceptional size and length
• Wide base and balance at the snap allow good range of motion
• Good overall athlete with excellent foot quickness
• Can open and close his hips well when adjusting
• Good agility and burst, with excellent change-of-direction skills
• Exceptional feet – is the definition of winning with footwork/angles
• Very controlled and effortless mover
• Patient in pass protection
• Solid flexibility in his lower half
• Light feet and frames blocks very well
• Good ability to quickly jump set and cut off any advantageous angle for defenders
• Maximizes length at contact – does well to readjust hands to optimize control
• Solid overall hand positioning and timing in pass protection
• Length allows him to ride EDGEs away from pocket against high-side rushes
• Sits back on his hips – has the ability to reestablish leverage when engaged
• Solid overall anchor
• Devastating down blocker in the run game
• Controlled and balanced mover when pulling and on screens
• Plays with good leverage despite naturally high center of gravity in the run game
• Consistently drives his feet through contact
• Very good feel for transitioning in combo blocks
• Passes off twists smoothly
• Will be successful in a zone scheme
• Finishes blocks like a maniac and lets defenders know about it
• Exceptional awareness of assignments and defensive intentions
• Young – he’ll be 21 through his rookie season

Weaknesses

• Good enough athlete but isn’t an elite athlete
• Doesn’t have the type of pop in his hands that one would imagine for a top-10 OT
• More places hands on target rather than dictates through authoritative punches
• Has solid anchor but did get pushed back when DL quickly engaged with bull-rush
• Chest can get over his toes in pass protection – could be sustainable to push-pull, albeit wasn’t an issue in college
• Could protect his chest more as a pass blocker – hands could get wide at times
• Not necessarily a weakness, but he opened his hips early on more shallow pass sets that allowed him to effectively cut off the angle of high side rushers and did well when executing this technique
• Relies more on elite body positioning and framing than strength and power

Alt has a bright future in the NFL. He relies on excellent footwork and framing of blocks that maximize angles and allow him to use his elite frame to control and win reps. He’s not the most aggressive or powerful tackle prospect, and his punch lacks elite pop on contact, but he’s a mean finisher in the run game who will drive defenders through the deck. Alt doesn’t have a true weakness, but there are areas of his game that can improve, like hand placement and the overall power in his punches. Still, he’ll be a technically sound starter on Day 1.

Day 2

Kingsley Suamataia, BYU

Suamataia has an impressive combination of size and explosiveness. He started his college career at Oregon before transferring to BYU in 2022. He has 687 snaps at right tackle and 655 snaps at left tackle with 10 career penalties. He only played 11 snaps at Oregon. In his college career, he allowed 24 pressures and two sacks. Here are a few highlights:

Suamataia is young, light on his feet, and has quick hands enhanced by his boxing background. He flashes but is still raw and is developmental in some regard. He has a very high ceiling and has experience at both tackle positions, but he still needs to refine his run-blocking footwork and handling of power.

Blake Fisher, Notre Dame

Fisher just turned 21. He has played 1,675 snaps at right tackle, with 26 starts on the right side and one start on the left side. He allowed 34 pressures and nine sacks in his college career, including 15 pressures and three sacks surrendered in 2023. He has the presence of an NFL tackle, with good length, big hands, and an athletic frame. Here are some run-blocking snaps from last season:

My reservations with Fisher are his overall footwork/framing in pass protection. He’s light on his feet but doesn’t always put himself in the best place to dictate, strike, and control the rep. Like Suamataia, Fisher may be best served with a patient coaching staff. Fisher is more developed as s run blocker, and he operated in a more traditional offense, but he could stand to refine his pass-blocking technique.

There is a natural talent with Fisher that could be actualized with some time.

Day 3

Caedan Wallace, Penn State

Wallace is an older prospect at 24. He has four years of starting at right tackle under his belt and played 2,290 snaps at right tackle for the Nittany Lions. He allowed 69 total pressures and nine sacks in 1,286 pass-blocking plays. 2021 was rough for Wallace, who allowed 35 pressures, but he only allowed 25 over the last two seasons.

Wallace plays with a wide base and is light on his feet. He’s not overly explosive, but his movement is functional enough, especially when combined with his build. He isn’t perfect in pass protection; his anchor and punch could improve, but there’s a solid foundation to build upon. He’s adequate as a run blocker; here are some plays that showcase that:

Wallace is No. 73. RT

Wallace would be a Day 3 player who could directly back up Evan Neal, allowing Eluemunor to play guard if needed. Picking him would gives the Giants more options, and there’s some upside with Wallace.

Frank Crum, Wyoming

Crum had a fantastic Combine, testing and measuring 80th percentile or more in five categories. He spent five years at Wyoming, playing 2,288 snaps at right tackle. He played left tackle in 2023 (787 snaps). He allowed 66 pressures in his career and 13 sacks, with 20 of those pressures resulting when he was at left tackle.

He arrived at Wyoming’s campus at just 250 pounds. He still maintains short-area quickness and lateral movement skills that are controlled and immediate. That will entice NFL teams, but he’s not as balanced in pass protection, and his hands and ability to adjust to counter-rush moves are a work in progress. It’s one of the reasons why he’ll be available on Day 3, despite elite testing and size. Here are a few highlight plays from his time in college:

Frank Crum is No. 75, LT

Ethan Driskell, Marshall

Driskell has massive size with functional play speed. He only played 198 snaps at right tackle in college, with 1,914 at left tackle. Driskell also packs punch and has enough force into contact to generate push at the point of attack, albeit his pad level gets high due to his 6-foot-8 height.

Driskell was penalized 16 times throughout his college career. He surrendered 20 pressures in each of his last two seasons. He allowed 49 total pressures in college and eight sacks. Here are some highlights and plays that show his overall movement skills:

Ethan Driskell is No. 52, LT

A grade 1 hamstring injury prevented Driskell from doing offseason drills at the Combine and at his Pro Day. However, he did show a solid anchor at the Senior Bowl, which was encouraging. He’s a mid-Day 3 developmental project.