Andrew Thomas | Why you would play this game if you don’t want to be the best?

New Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas has heard the claims that he's not the best offensive tackle in this draft class. And he respectfully disagrees.

It was never a question as to whether Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas would be a first-round draft selection.

But to be the first offensive tackle off the board? Well, that's another story.

Yet as Thursday's first round of the NFL draft unfolded, that's precisely what happened. The 21-year-old Thomas became the first offensive tackle off the board when the Giants called his name at No. 4 overall.,

“Definitely (meant a lot)," Thomas told reporters during a video conference call not long after he was drafted. "I work hard every day to be the best."

Thomas started 41 games at Georgia, with 26 starts at left tackle, his projected position in the pros. Scouting reports describe him as a sound pass protector, who kept quarterback Jake Fromm clean throughout his career.

During his college career, Thomas allowed five sacks. During the 2019 season, he gave up one sack in 13 games on his way to a second straight First-Team All-SEC selection.

Thomas is also a player that likes to get his hands dirty in the running game, which is great news for Saquon Barkley, who would no doubt welcome large holes to run through.

Despite these accolades, Thomas admitted to wondering if his showing might be good enough in the eyes of some teams.

“I wasn’t sure exactly how it was going to go,” said Thomas. “You never know with the draft.

“Obviously, you see it with social media and things like that. I try to focus on what I can control. I can’t control what other guys may do or what the media may say. All I can do is work on my craft and do what I need to do to be prepared when I step on the field.”

Doing just that has enabled Thomas to rise up draft boards. With the Giants, he projects as one of the starting five offensive linemen, though head coach Joe Judge insisted that the rookie, like everyone else, is going to have to earn a spot on the team, let alone int he starting lineup.

But Thomas didn't sound too worried, and he definitely didn't lack for confidence in his skillset.

“People are entitled to their own opinion. For me, it’s just a matter of what the coaches think of me and what my teammates think of me,” said Thomas.

"I don’t understand why you would play this game if you don’t want to be the best,” he added.

Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said one of the reasons they chose Thomas was because of his impressive results going up against Jaguars edge rusher Josh Allen when he was at Kentucky in 2018, and LSU’s K'lavon Chaisson last season.

For Thomas, these were considerable accomplishments in his career that showcased his competitiveness.

“I want to go up against the best guys and test my limits against them. Going up against him and having a pretty good game meant a lot to me. I put in a lot of hard work to get there,” said Thomas.