The New York Giants have a left tackle dilemma entering Week 8 of the 2024 season. Star blindside protector Andrew Thomas suffered a significant foot injury against the Cincinnati Bengals despite playing every snap in Week 6. Tests determined that Thomas suffered a Lisfranc injury, which will cause him to miss the rest of the season after undergoing foot surgery a week ago.
The Giants swing tackle didn’t have his best showing last week.
The New York Giants swing tackle struggled in Week 7
Joshua Ezeudu, who started five games at left tackle last season before suffering a season-ending toe injury, got the nod as the blindside protector in Week 7. Unfortunately, Ezeudu struggled. He surrendered three pressures, one hurry, zero QB hits, and two sacks, and had a 65.6 pass block, a 46.9 run block, and a 59.2 PFF grade. Brian Daboll didn’t commit to him starting in Week 8.
“Yeah, we’ll have that discussion here,” Daboll said. “We’ve watched the tape. We’re not there yet. I thought that early on there was a couple plays in there. One off of a jam and another one that could have been better.
“I think he settled in. It was his first time playing. So, there’s some things he did better as the game went on and made some improvements. And we’ll see where we’re at here.”
Concerned with their depth at left tackle, they hosted a Pro Bowler for a visit.
The New York Giants hosted a Pro Bowl blindside protector on Tuesday
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Giants will host D.J. Humphries for a visit on Tuesday. The Arizona Cardinals drafted Humphries 24th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. He played nine seasons for the Cardinals, primarily on the left side, starting 98 games and making a Pro Bowl selection in 2021. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury late last season.
Former Cardinals first-round pick D.J. Humphries, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered last season, is visiting today with the New York Giants. The Giants lost OT Andrew Thomas to season-ending foot surgery, and Humphries played left tackle in Arizona for nine seasons. pic.twitter.com/U46eFfAvpl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2024
He suffered a significant knee injury in Week 17
D.J. Humphries suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 17. The Arizona Cardinals would release Humphries in March to free up cap space because his knee injury occurred later in the season. His chances of returning for Week 1 of the 2024 season were slim to none.
Humphries is nearly ten months removed from his ACL injury and should be cleared to play very soon if he hasn’t been cleared to play already. He would be a clear upgrade over Joshua Ezeudu and Evan Neal.