UGA football: Grading the draft pick match for Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson

UGA football was well-represented in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, with offensive linemen being picked.

Many analysts predicted two UGA football players to be selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but it wasn’t necessarily the two who were picked or when they were picked.

The New York Giants selected offensive tackle Andrew Thomas with the fourth overall pick. While Thomas was expected to be a first-round selection, there were other offensive linemen who had been graded higher.

Then, with the number 29 pick, the Tennessee Titans drafted Thomas’ linemate Isaiah Wilson, another pick that had a Georgia offensive lineman going higher than his grade.

Now that those two picks are in, the grading process can begin. Most NFL team analysts will be grading how well their team did with the picks. This will be a grade on how well these UGA football players match with the teams who selected them.

The thought by many was that the Giants would look for offensive line help to keep second-year quarterback Daniel Jones upright and able to do his job. However, most didn’t figure that help to come in the form of Georgia’s Andrew Thomas.

One Giants writer — GMenHQ site expert Charles Vitolo — has always looked at Thomas as being the man needed in New York.

In his post-pick analysis, Vitolo said:

"“[Thomas] had the best tape and production and was ranked as the highest offensive tackle all of last season before ‘experts’ began to knock him down after no more games were played after the season — foolishly.”"

Experts can argue until the sun goes down about which offensive tackle is the best. In this case, it really doesn’t matter. The Giants hit big and got exactly what they needed with this pick.

At six-foot-five and 315 pounds, Thomas is a menacing figure on the line who moves like a man half his size. He can play either left or right tackle (although the Giants will probably start him on the left side as they are extremely thin there) and he’s a brutal run blocker, which will make Saquon Barkley very happy.

There are a few small areas of Thomas’ pass-protection skills that could be cleaned up, but they are all easily coached, and Thomas is a smart player who learns and adapts quickly.

If any Giants fans are concerned about this pick, they shouldn’t be. Thomas will be one of the anchors of a revamped Giants offensive line and will be a Day 1 starter in New York.

This was a pick that had many of the draft analysts on ESPN raising an eyebrow and many Titans fans screaming for a mulligan.

Titan Sized site expert Will Lomas was among them.

"“Everything about this feels like a player who was part of a good unit in college, but whose individual efforts were lacking. He does fill the Jon Robinson mantra of a guy who isn’t a projection and who has experience at the position he will play at the next level, but everything else screams bust.”"

Relax, everyone. This pick will be just fine for the Titans.

Tennessee could have gone any number of ways with this pick, but they did need help on the line to protect Ryan Tannehill after investing $118 million dollars to essentially make him their guy for the foreseeable future.

What Wilson brings to Tennessee is a vicious downhill run-blocker, which fits right into the running style of last year’s rushing champion, Derrick Henry. You put a 6-foot-6, 350-pound freight train who runs a 5.32 forty and can move like Shaq in front of Henry, and you’ll see some holes opened up for him to hit.

Wilson does need some work on his pass-block skills, but he’s not the swinging gate the Titans have had in the past. Most of the downside to his pass protection are things that can be taught — keeping hands inside, getting a little lower and not quite so upright, keeping hips tighter — and Wilson has shown the ability to learn a lot in just his two years of college play.

He’s a more raw talent than Thomas, but the Titans coaching staff will be very pleased with what they have. Possibly a starter out of the gate, more likely a guy who rotates in for jumbo packages during his first year.

UGA football players matched well with teams will in round one

Both Thomas and Wilson are heading to teams that had a need for their skills and who have a solid coaching staff to develop them further. The Giants and Titans both have elite running backs, something which these two offensive linemen are accustomed to, which will make their skillset even more appreciated.

Picking offensive linemen in the first round is never exciting for fans, but given the talent both teams have at skill positions and quarterback, the need to fortify the line was more pressing.

We should see to nice success stories out of these 2020 first-round draft picks.