New York Giants News

Giants 90-man roster breakdown: Can Giants develop OL Bobby Hart?

Rookie offensive lineman is youngest player on the team's roster.

By Ed Valentine@Valentine_Ed Jun 19, 2015, 4:13pm EDT

Let's continue our player-by-player profiles of the 90-man roster the New York Giants will bring to training camp. Today, we look at one of the teams' 2015 draftees, seventh-round pick Bobby Hart.

2014 Season in Review

Started all 14 games at right tackle for Florida State, and started 28 straight at that spot his final two seasons with the Seminoles. Was named third-team All-ACC in 2014.

2015 Season Outlook

The Giants are not looking at Hart, a mere 20 years old, as a player expected to contribute as a rookie. They are hoping the 6-foot-5, 329-pound youngster can develop both his strength and technique and make a long-term transition inside to guard. Hart has been playing some right tackle during the spring, but the Giants don't expect that to be his eventual position.

"He's played a lot of ball at a high level of competition for Florida State," general manager Jerry Reese said after the draft. "I see guys like that with his skill set. We see them every Sunday playing in the National Football League. But we do think he's a guard and not a tackle."

In his 2015 NFL Draft Guide, Dane Brugler of CBS Sports called Hart "a work in progress." Which is why, at the tender age of 20, the Giants were willing to gamble a seventh-round pick on him.

"We don't think that's a negative. They're developing and you can teach them as they go, grow and mature. That's not a negative for us," Reese said. "We think that's a positive. If a guy is 25, that's more of a negative than a 20-year old. ... if you're 25, you're almost out of the league. When you're 25, you're almost gone."

Hart doesn't see it as a negative, either. For him, it's just a fact.

"I really don't think about it. I've been like that my entire life. I was 12 playing with 15-year-olds, then when I got to high school I was 13 playing with 16 and 17-year-olds," Hart said. "I just always was at an age disadvantage, so I really don't think about it."

Hart has played both right guard and right tackle throughout the preseason as the Giants shuffle reserve linemen to see what they have as well as develop some flexibility.

"Guard happens a lot faster. You've gotta be ready," Hart said. "Tackle it doesn't happen as fast, but you've got more room for error. Guard you have no room for error. One missed hand or anything and they're by you. Tackle if you miss a little bit if you're athletic enough you can run ‘em past. You've got to be more of a perfectionist."

Hart might sneak onto the roster as a reserve offensive lineman. A more likely outcome for him, however, will be spending the 2015 season on the Giants' practice squad.