From bust to NFL's best: No better time for Andrew Thomas to complete his journey than now

EAST RUTHERFORD - There was a time not long ago when Andrew Thomas wanted you to call him the worst offensive lineman in the NFL. And given the way his professional career began, many critics obliged.

The journey to where Thomas is now - widely regarded as one of the league's best at left tackle and an irreplaceable part of the Giants' present and future - has, in a sense, reached another crossroads.

Entering his fifth season, Thomas has been validated by his play, the respect his presence garners on and off the field, and the mammoth contract the Giants gave him at the start of training camp last summer.

"They called me a bust," Thomas told NorthJersey.com in a 2023 interview. "But it was my job not to listen."

No better time for Thomas to complete his quest to go from bust to NFL's best left tackle than now.

Because coming off the 2023 campaign, one that began with a stated goal of earning recognition as the best left tackle in the game, Thomas has even more to prove going into Year 5. He missed seven games with a hamstring injury suffered in the season opener while chasing down a blocked field goal in what was a forgettable year during which nothing went right.

Well, except for that bag he secured.

Thomas and the Giants had signed a mega five-year extension worth $117.5 million, including $67 million guaranteed, which means he is currently under contract with the team that drafted him No. 4 overall back in 2020 for the next seven years. As a rookie, Thomas allowed 10 sacks and was often left questioning his own technique and ability to stop rushers from spinning him like a top both in the run game and in pass protection.

Four years and five offensive line coaches later, while others saw marked improvement and a much higher level of execution than was anticipated, Thomas continues to dig to fix flaws in his game. The question heading into this season: how does a good player like Thomas become great, and does that even matter to the Giants' success if the rest of the line fails to follow his lead and live up to the standard he sets?

"I would say [the focus is on] the finer details, just when it comes to pass pro, my set, my approach," Thomas said. "Then I think a lot of it is just how I take care of my body, all the rehab stuff, prehab, my diet, all those things, and I've been doing a better job of honing in, just trying to make sure I can be at my best. I think when I'm at my best, I'm one of the best."

Carmen Bricillo is the eighth offensive line coach for the Giants in the past 10 years, a staggering number in and of itself. Then to put that into even more perspective, Bricillo is the fifth position coach Thomas has had here.

Marc Colombo. Dave DeGuglielmo. Rob Sale. Bobby Johnson. And now Bricillo.

Bricillo made one promise to this group when they gathered for the first time in April: no looking back with finger pointing and regret.

“We live in a glass house at this position," Bricillo said, and nobody knows that better than Thomas.

Saying Thomas is a franchise cornerstone is undeniable. Yet, with the offensive line still a source of angst, anger and collective ineptitude for the Giants, there isn't much satisfaction for the 25-year-old in terms of individual success.

In the first practice of training camp Wednesday, the offensive line endured another gut punch - although initial fears have likely been proven unfounded. Free agent signee Jermaine Eluemunor, just one hour after Giants coach Brian Daboll decided he would kick out to right tackle, caught an inadvertent elbow and forearm on his left side from Dexter Lawrence. He dropped to a knee and ultimately left practice with the training staff holding his abdomen.

Eluemunor later wrote on social media, "I'm good," and the initial belief from the Giants is that he suffered bruised ribs, an individual with knowledge of the situation told NorthJersey.com. Evan Neal's recovery from January ankle surgery landed him on the active/PUP (physically unable to perform) list to start camp.

The Giants met with veteran free agent guard Greg Van Roten on Monday and a signing remains possible. Another possible addition, Tyre Phillips, is recovering from a torn quad, and he has guard/tackle flexibility. They're already counting on a second-year leap from center John Michael Schmitz and the steady play of right guard Jon Runyan, who signed a three-year, $30 million deal in free agency.

"We’ve added some veteran guys to the group, so I think we have a little bit more experience in the room," Thomas said. "And then, just for me, personally, I want to stay healthy and try to take it up a notch this year with my play and my leadership."

The Giants are counting on that.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: From bust to NFL's best: No better time for Andrew Thomas to complete his journey than now