5 breakout stars to watch for New York Giants in 2021

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 14: Matt Peart #74 of the New York Giants runs during warmups before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium on September 14, 2020, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

4. New York Giants breakout stars – OT Matt Peart

Giants’ General Manager Dave Gettleman set out on a mission to rebuild his offensive line and a big part of that process was through the 2020 draft. New York’s first-round pick of left tackle Andrew Thomas drew all the headlines but the pick of right tackle Matt Peart in the third round was a key part of that development effort.

Peart was an intriguing prospect out of UConn who most experts believed needed a year of development before he was ready to contribute at the NFL level. That was also the original plan of the Giants, who wanted to bring him along slowly before Nate Solder’s decision to opt-out pushed Peart up the depth chart.

Peart’s work ethic clearly impressed the coaching staff, which began rotating him into the game in certain packages as the season progressed. The big challenge facing Peart this season will be to win the starting job at right tackle in training camp, a task he could be more than capable of handling.

If Peart is able to win the job it would be a huge positive for New York, which could have a young set of bookend tackles for years to come. Finding out if Peart is up to the task of protecting Daniel Jones against some of the league’s elite pass rushers will be a key development for New York this season.

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