New York Giants 2022 Training Camp Roster Preview: OL Jamil Douglas

Jamil Douglas offers depth at center and guard. Can he snatch a starting job, though?

There's an old saying, "Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know." And with the New York Giants entering a pivotal first offseason under a new leadership regime, this was the thinking behind some of the veteran free agents the team brought in.  

The cap-strapped Giants sought to optimize their cap space and have these veterans serve as mentors to their younger colleagues.

When it came to the porous offensive line, who better to recruit for this mission than some players from general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll’s time in Buffalo?

That's what they did in bringing in offensive lineman Jamil Douglas. A Cypress, California native and seven-year NFL veteran, Douglas is a player that has been around the block of professional football and that carries insight valuable to incoming rookies. 

He played collegiate ball for the Arizona State University Sun Devils, where he earned All-Pac-12 honors in 2013 and 2014, before being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round (114th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-4 310-pound lineman appeared in all 16 games as a rookie and made six starts along the way. He was cut by Miami in October 2016 and would become a member of six different organizations throughout six seasons, including the Bills in 2021.

In 2016, Douglas was a member of the New England Patriots team led by Tom Brady that shocked the world in Super Bowl LI by coming back to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 38-34 in the infamous “28-3” game. 

Douglas was released from the team a few months after that, and before joining the Bills last year, he logged valuable playing time with the Titans (2018 to 2020), starting the first four games of the 2019 season at right guard and finishing the year having played 15 games with five starts.

What He Brings

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Beyond the depth component of his signing, Douglas most clearly offers the Giants’ offensive line a dose of versatility.

Going back to his Arizona State days, Douglas played at tackle spot, a spot that seems less likely with the Giants given Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal projected to solidify. Douglas has played most of his NFL snaps at guard and center, two areas where the Giants are looking to solidify.

When Douglas took part in the NFL combine in 2015, there were some concerns about his “functional power” and consistency in blocking. One NFL analyst described Douglas as a “weight-room strength” left guard with little fire in his belly and a propensity for giving up ground. However, the 30-year-old has made up for those deficiencies with his athleticism and speed.

With a nearly 33⅜-inch wingspan, 10¾-inch hands, and a 5.25 40-yard time, Douglas flashes the flexibility and deceptive quickness which he uses to beat defenders off the snap to get an early lead in protection.

This could work wonders for the Giants in the screen game, where Douglas has shown an ability to pull, turn the corner and quickly find his targets, allowing ball carriers to get out in open space faster.

Not only is Douglas quick off the ball, he is also quick in his recovery to catch delayed blitzes in the passing game or stall different rushing moves by interior defensive linemen in the run game. His marksman-like vision enables him to lock into a primary rushing target or pass it off to shut down second-level pressures and changing defensive stunts.

The proof of Douglas’s improvement in protecting the quarterback or ball carrier are in his numbers between 2015 and 2019. Despite struggling as a rookie and giving up 353 pressures on 521 blocking plays, he reversed his fate in 2019 by posting only 217 pressures on 388 blocking plays as part of the Titans’ offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus.

Douglas might not be the strongest interior lineman on the field, but he uses his length, speed, and focus to gain an edge on defensive rushers and prevent any easy lanes to the backfield.

His Contract

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On March 18th, 2022, Douglas agreed to terms with the Giants on a one-year, $1.187 million deal. His contract includes a base salary of $1.035 million with a prorated bonus of $152,000, and $200,000 of the contract is guaranteed .

His 2022 cap number is $1.047 million ; if he does not make the roster, the Giants would save $695,000 with a $352,500 dead money charge.

Roster Prediction/Expectations

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There is going to be compoetition on the offensive line, not just for starting jobs but for depth, and Douglas is going to be right there int he thick of things. Douglas, as previously mentioned, offers guard and center flexibility , which can help his chances of sticking around.

Regardless of his role (starter or reserve) the coaching staff will no doubt look toward Douglas to serve as a mentor to the younger linemen and help them acclimate into the Buffalo-esque system that Daboll is looking to install in New York.

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