The New York Giants have had a plethora of injuries along the offensive line this year and have resorted to playing players they would not rather trot out there.
The starting five of choice has been (left to right): Andrew Thomas, Matt Skura, Billy Price, Will Hernandez and Nate Solder. Skura and Price were preseason additions, Hernandez has been disappointing and Solder is clearly past his prime.
Matt Peart, a third rounder in the 2020 NFL draft, was supposed to take over the right tackle spot this year and has been healthy, but has started just four games.
Why? According to a source of former Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, now a New York Post podcaster, Peart “lacks intensity” and has made too many “mental mistakes” to be relied on.
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Peart has played sparingly when the starting five are healthy and in the two games since the Giants’ Week 10 bye, he’s played on five and nine offensive snaps respectively.
That is not what the Giants envisioned when they selected him 99th overall last year. There was early talk that Peart could be the left tackle of the future over Thomas. That plan has been scrapped apparently now that Thomas has turned the corner at left tackle and Peart has not shown the growth in his second season the Giants had hoped.
Still, despite Tynes’ report, Giants head coach Joe Judge insists it’s more about Solder playing well than Peart underperforming in practice.
“We’re pleased with the way Nate has progressed and how he’s played throughout the year,” Judge told reporters on Wednesday when asked why Solder is starting over Peart.
Pro Football Focus grades Solder as one of the worst offensive tackles in the NFL (68 of 81).
