A Glimpse Inside OT Andrew Thomas’ Off-season Training Program

What has Giants first-round draft pick Andrew Thomas been working on ahead of reporting for his first NFL training camp? His trainer offers a glimpse at some of the drills they've been doing and the reason behind them.

New York Giants first-round draft pick Andrew Thomas comes to the NFL with immense talent and potential to become a top-notch offensive lineman for years to come.

To ensure he reaches that potential, Thomas has ensured that he surrounds himself with the right people who have just as much of an interest in seeing the fourth overall pick in the draft get his career off to a positive start.

One of those people is Josh Swan, who, like Thomas, attended the Pace Academy—he graduated four years before Thomas did—and who is now a trainer who has worked with Thomas this off-season in Atlanta.

Swan and Thomas both played high school football at different times for offensive coordinator Kevin Johnson, Thomas’ mentor since his freshman year of high school. Johnson introduced Thomas to Swan, who has been training athletes ever since concluding his collegiate basketball career at Southern Illinois University.

Swan told Giants Country that in Thomas, the Giants are getting a young player with a sophisticated level of smarts, athleticism, and light feet, which separates him from others at his position.

To ensure Thomas holds a competitive advantage, Swan has had the rookie go through several unique drills that one might not associate with an offensive lineman’s training. 

One such drill has Thomas underneath hurdles and then reaching upward once he's cleared the hurdle, a drill likely aimed at helping him quickly get out of a crouched stance. 

Then there is a drill in which he is pushing a weight rack anchored by resistance bands out on an angle to simulate the blocking motion offensive lineman do on run blocking plays and to increase his explosiveness.

Another drill challenges Thomas to move laterally to catch a different colored ball with each hand. For example, he'll only catch a white ball with his left hand and an orange one with his right hand as he slides laterally to get into a position to make the catches. 

This drill helps fine-tune lateral movement, footwork, and hand-eye coordination within a five- to seven-yard range typically required for an offensive lineman. 

“For a lineman, it’s super important to work on hand-eye coordination and hand placement while also moving side to side and having to think by catching one colored ball with the left hand and the other with the right,” said Swan.

“These drills are going to help him have quick hands and be able to make fast decisions. Reading and reacting on the fly helps you on the field. With Andrew’s level of athleticism, it makes him very special as an offensive lineman. We want to help him increase that explosiveness and power. Playing faster than his opponent will help him win his matchups during live game action.”

Swan, who plans to continue working with Thomas until the rookie heads north to New Jersey for his NFL training camp, said that the work Thomas has done has yielded another benefit: Thomas has been able to achieve a consistent weight of around 317 pounds.

Before Thomas reports to training camp, Swan plans to continue working with him to create recovery plans and ensure Thomas has everything he needs to make his rookie season a success.

Thomas will soon find out whether he'll play left tackle, the position he played in college, and the one that Swan said Thomas hopes he'll eventually play, or right tackle for the Giants. Regardless of where he plays, Swan is confident that the work Thomas has done this off-season, along with his intelligence and commitment to the game will serve him well in making a seamless transition to the pros.

“He’s going to excel at learning both left and right tackle and competing at these spots,” Swan said. “He’s a very smart kid, so I know the learning aspect will be a breeze. He’s also really adaptable; whether he plays left or right, he’s going to take to it quickly.”

“I think he’ll do well in New York. He holds his own and is a very well-spoken young man. He can turn it on with the media and then switch gears when it’s time to put in the work on the field.”

“You will always be able to rely on him. He’s someone you don’t have to worry about ever getting in trouble. He’s going to show up every day on time to do his job,” said Swan. “(The Giants) are getting a very smart and well-rounded guy who’s going to come in and put in the work."

(Additional reporting by Patricia Traina.)

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