3 players Giants should target at deadline after devastating Andrew Thomas injury ends season

One of the quickest ways to tank an NFL season is by losing an offensive lineman to injury, especially a quality left tackle. That's what just happened to the New York Giants, who will be without Andrew Thomas after the 2022 All-Pro had surgery on his foot.

Being without Thomas is a brutal blow for the Giants, who sit at 2-4 and last in the NFC East. But in a wide-open division, the team shouldn't be ready to throw away the season yet, and should instead begin a search for Thomas replacements. Luckily for the G-Men, there are numerous replacements out there, some from teams that have already shown a willingness to make moves, and others from teams who will likely be selling at the trade deadline which is approaching on November 5.

Jedrick Wills, Cleveland Browns

It could be fire sale season in Cleveland, as the 1-5 Browns don't seem particularly interested in winning games this season after trading Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills. If that's really the case, New York should call up Browns and GM Andrew Berry to see if the team is interested in parting ways with tackle Jedrick Wills.

A former top-ten pick in 2020, Wills' career never took off the way Cleveland was hoping it would, but he can still slot in on the Giants offensive line and provide an extra body in Thomas' absence. The asking price from Cleveland might not be particularly high either, as it seems the Browns are ready to embrace the tank and gather assets for a future, post-Deshaun Watson world. A late-round pick might get the job done.

Daniel Brunskill, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee seems to be going nowhere fast with its current roster, so like Cleveland, it might be in "sell" mode the next few weeks. Offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill has played all over the line, from guard to tackle and even some time at center. He's a football guy, just ask him!

Brunskill started his career in San Francisco before joining the Titans last year, but a 1-4 record with the Bills and Lions next up on the schedule might cause the Titans front office to make some moves. His experience anywhere on the line would be helpful for a Giants team that might need to shake things up after losing its left tackle, the most important position on the line.

Andrus Peat, Las Vegas Raiders

A three-time Pro Bowler, Peat spent the first nine years of his career in New Orleans before signing with the Raiders this offseason. The combination of Vegas being bad and Peat not playing a ton could make this a short-lived stint in Vegas for Peat, who was a first-round pick back in 2015.

Like Brunskill, Peat has played multiple positions on the offensive line and could fill in wherever the Giants need him to. He might not be the same player he was in New Orleans about five years ago, but he's still an imposing figure who would help a now-thin offensive line in New York.

Giants could use linebacker Azeez Ojulari as trade chip

Could this be counter-productive? Perhaps. But New York needs help on its offensive line now, and if the team would prefer to hold on to its draft picks — or perhaps package Ojulari with a draft pick to acquire a high-level offensive lineman — then now would be the time to do so, as Ojulari has been balling out while playing more for the injured Kayvon Thibodeaux, who the Giants recently placed on IR.

Ojulari had two sacks on Sunday Night Football against the Bengals, and performing that well on primetime is a great way to boost trade stock. The Giants have some other talented linebackers on the roster — Brian Burns is playing well right now too — so perhaps Joe Shoen would be willing to sacrifice a quality defensive player with the thought that New York is deep enough on that side of the ball, in order to protect quarterback Daniel Jones.

A big divisional test awaits New York

The records 2-5 and 3-4 look (and feel) awfully different. New York plays host to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of avoiding that 2-5 record. This could realistically be the game that determines whether New York buys or sells at the trade deadline. With a win, the team is right back in the NFC East mix. With a loss, things start to snowball in the wrong direction.