Is ORT A Position Of Need?

[Painter]

Why is being fickle and rash so often characteristic of the discussions we have of such matters? It's one thing to assume something based largely on our own personal opinion and quite another to assert it as though it's a fact.

While I personally feel that if the Giants are to have a truly competitive Offense, irrespective of who's back there calling signals, or at Running Back, they must make significant improvements to their Oline by upgrading its talent everywhere possible through FA and especially the forthcoming Draft as difficult as that is bound to be.

But, certainly I don't know the Schoen/Daboll & Co thinking in the matter, or what their plans may be at this point regarding ORT and Evan Neal, and any thought of position change or, indeed, whether current Oline Coach, Bobby Johnson will even be a participant in such.

Other than being driven by our personal conceits, these are issues which have barely reached the generalization and the- if this, then that-stage which might also be referred to as " holding our water" time.

Cheers!

[Dumpster Dan]

One of my fears is that we grab the top OT. And like Neal, who made his bones playing the left side of the line, so are the top OT's in this draft, all who have made their bones on the left side: ie,, Alt, Fashanu, Latham, Mims, etc., and they will likely go in the top 20 picks. Do we really want to take a chance on another "great" LT and assume he will transfer to RT without a hitch? Difficult to know

Jolly

Please double check

Latham, Mims and Fuega are RT

Dumpster Dan

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Jolly

Please double check

Latham, Mims and Fuega are RT

Dumpster Dan

Thanks for the heads up Dan...I'm just getting started looking at prospects. Good info, thanks for sharing

[Jclayton92]

Jolly

Please double check

Latham, Mims and Fuega are RT

Dumpster Dan

I like Fuaga better than Fashanu because he is a pure RT prospect.

[Dumpster Dan]

I like Fuaga better than Fashanu because he is a pure RT prospect.

And he is a mauler with a nasty streak

Dumpster Dan

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I like Fuaga better than Fashanu because he is a pure RT prospect.

If the Giants plan on giving up on Neal, then Fashanu is ideal (although, Fashanu is a left tackle and would have to learn as has Neal); however, what I like about Fuaga is he's not only a gifted RT, but he's an even better RG. Fashanu is 6-6/319 and Fuaga is 6-6/335 (some say he is closer to 350lbs - who to believe?  ). Fuaga is bigger boned with a heavier mass compared to Fashanu. Fuaga and also a road grading mauler, but he has swift-dancing feet and can play zone up front (think a bigger Zack Martin...even though I hate comparisons) and has exceptionally long arms with baseball-mitt hands. If we draft Fashanu, we must jettison Neal or see if he can work out as a guard, which Neal might not be willing to do after his comments to the press that he's a tackle only and that's all he is and ever was. I don't think Fashanu would want to try playing guard with his successful history of a dominating LT. With Fuaga as RG, he immediately makes Neal better as they could work in tandem. Then in the worst case, if Neal continues to regress, then Fuaga steps in and takes over RT. At worst, Fuaga is a top-notch swing tackle. Some of the reports I've read on Fuaga say his frame and style of play would make him the ideal right guard

I haven't really studied all the tackles, but just getting into it. And now that I'm stuck home with Covid, I have little else to do...can't go anywhere 

What I do know, is that this draft class is loaded like never before with OTs and WRs. ERs and CBs are pretty good in this draft, but not as loaded as OTs and WRs

[Painter]

We might also now consider that ORT is not quite so different from OLT as once it was. It used to be that a team's best pressuring Edge Rusher almost always was lined up against the OLT. Today, that is not always the case despite the LT having the "greater challenge" of having to protect a right-handed QB's blindside.

Moreover, whether or not there is an in-line blocking TE on that side, we more often now see a team's top rusher facing the ORT. That's due not only to any special skills he may have, but also to the greater use of Dline flexing and stunting. In any case, nothing is necessarily same as it might once have been. Perhaps, we keep that in mind when generalizing about the position?

Cheers!

[Philosophers]

If you look at the best OTs in the NFL, they are not 335 - 350 pounds but in the 315 - 320 pound area.  At a lower weight the OT should be able to move move quickly to stop edge rushers either coming from the outside or inside.  Keep in mind that a big player can be defeated if his weight and balance are off.  Excellent moving stY in balance OL are what we need.

[DaveBrown74]

If you look at the best OTs in the NFL, they are not 335 - 350 pounds but in the 315 - 320 pound area.  At a lower weight the OT should be able to move move quickly to stop edge rushers either coming from the outside or inside.  Keep in mind that a big player can be defeated if his weight and balance are off.  Excellent moving stY in balance OL are what we need.

Good observation Phil and you're right. 312-320 is by far the most common weight range for NFL tackles. Which is not to say there have never been good 330-340 pound OTs, but it is not common at all. Take a guy like Tyron Smith, who has long been considered a "monster." Even he is only 312. Recent top notch guys like Joe Thomas, Lane Johnson, and Trent Williams are all in that range too. So is Andrew Thomas.

Neal's weight is not unprecedented (Bryant McKinnie comes to mind), but it is definitely unusual, and I think it is fair to postulate that it may be a hindrance.

[Philosophers]

Good observation Phil and you're right. 312-320 is by far the most common weight range for NFL tackles. Which is not to say there have never been good 330-340 pound OTs, but it is not common at all. Take a guy like Tyron Smith, who has long been considered a "monster." Even he is only 312. Recent top notch guys like Joe Thomas, Lane Johnson, and Trent Williams are all in that range too. So is Andrew Thomas.

Neal's weight is not unprecedented (Bryant McKinnie comes to mind), but it is definitely unusual, and I think it is fair to postulate that it may be a hindrance.

It's amazing how a 50 pound weight advantage can be defeated when the bigger player is off balance and not playing low and over his feet.  A 285 pound edge that's strong and fast and playing relatively low can defeat those badly flawed OTs all day.

At say 6'6" 310 pounds, an OT still has plenty of size to make it tough in an edge especially if he is playing with good technique.  Extra weight brings more problems than solutions.

Same thing with interior OL.  Smaller OL win over bigger DL if they have great technique.

[brownelvis54]

More than anything we need a new offensive line coach. I think Evan Neal deserves one more year at right tackle. we could use a swing tackle and see what the new offensive line coach does.

[Philosophers]

More than anything we need a new offensive line coach. I think Evan Neal deserves one more year at right tackle. we could use a swing tackle and see what the new offensive line coach does.

Agree.  How has Johnson lasted through the season?  Does Dabs think if is all due to injury?