Andrew Thomas first OL taken in 2020 NFL Draft

Andrew Thomas joins the New York Giants as the No. 4 pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. Bettors who wagered on him to be the first OL taken are very happy.

The New York Giants selected OT Andrew Thomas with the 4th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was an underdog at +300 to be the first offensive lineman off the board. He was also favored (-130) to go before pick No. 10.5.

A homegrown talent, Thomas was born in Lithonia, Georgia, and went to high school at the Pace Academy in Atlanta. He was a four-star recruit and earned U.S. Army All-American honors during his final season with the Knights. Thomas was offered a boatload of FBS scholarships before choosing Georgia over Notre Dame and Clemson.

Thomas was a Freshman All-American at right tackle for the Bulldogs in 2017. Honors continued, as he was a First-Team All-American as a left tackle during his final two seasons. In 2019, Thomas won the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best offensive lineman in the conference. He was the first Bulldog blocker to win the award since Matt Stinchcomb took the honor in 1998.

A massive O-lineman, Thomas (6-foot-5, 320 pounds) was one of several elite offensive line prospects in this year’s draft. He is a dominant run blocker and possesses all the tools to develop into a premier pass protector at the NFL level. Thomas was a vital player on Georgia teams that won 11 or more games over three consecutive seasons. He also helped the Bulldogs claim three SEC Eastern Division championships and played in three straight New Year’s Six bowl games (2018 Rose, 2019 Sugar, 2020 Sugar).

Here’s why SI’s Kevin Hanson ranked Thomas as the No. 14 overall player on his big board:

Thomas has started 41 games—15 at right tackle as a freshman and 26 at left tackle over the past two seasons. His combination of strength, length (36 1/8” arms), athleticism and experience make him ready to start Day 1.

New York Giants Stats to Know:

• Daniel Jones scored 17 of his 26 TDs in four of his 13 games while also passing 1,318 of his 3,027 yards (43.5 percent) in those contests.
• From Week 2 to Week 14 over eight games, Saquon Barkley gained 628 combined yards with 34 catches and two TDs). His play was much better over his final three games (539 combined yards with 11 catches and five TDs) while doubling his previous failure (3.1) in yards per rush (6.2).
• Darius Slayton had 15 catches for 275 yards and four TDs in his two best games while only catching 33 balls for 465 yards and four TDs in his other 12 games.
• The Giants’ defense allowed 3.86 yards per rush (4th), but they gave up 22 rushing TDs (30th).
• Their defense didn’t allow a receiving TD to a running back (90 catches), but they ranked 31st in TDs allowed to WRs (22).

Latest NFL Draft Coverage from Sports Illustrated

• NFL Mock Draft: One Final First Round Projection
• Overrated and Underrated NFL Draft Prospects
• NFL Mock Draft: Vegas Odds Predict First Round
• SI’s 2020 NFL Draft Prop Betting Guide

NFL Draft Exclusives: Sign up for Sports Illustrated’s newsletters and get the latest NFL Draft coverage, analysis and highlights - delivered right to your inbox.