Giants’ OT Matt Peart had ‘surreal’ moment getting picked by favorite childhood team

New York Giants third-round draft pick Matt Peart, who grew up in the Bronx as a Giants fan, will get to wear a Giants jersey to start his NFL career.

Peart told reporters on Sunday that being called to the Giants with the 99th overalo pick in Round 3 was a “big surreal moment.”

“My mom started going crazy. I had family members do a Zoom call like this and they were going crazy over the computer,” he said.

Peart played all four years at UConn, spending his first two seasons at left tackle, then moving to the right side for his junior and senior seasons. He played for five different offensive coordinators, which meant versatility and flexibility in learning playbooks was a must.

He was born in Jamaica but grew up in the Bronx, and “kind of fell in love with the Knicks and then also the Giants soon after that.” His favorite player was former Giants QB Eli Manning.

“Just watching them on the TV, just the culture and everything the Giants stand for was something that was appealing for me as a young kid. Especially growing up, especially that moment in high school when they had that Super Bowl win my freshman year. That was a very, very fun time for me,” said Peart.

Peart was a reliable, consistent force in college, playing every snap at UConn.

Connecticut was his biggest offer coming out of high school, only offering him a spot a week before signing day.

And when Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge finally called his phone on Friday, it was a frenzy.

“Just getting that phone call was very surreal. I’m just trying to grasp the moment still, it still feels a little bit surreal right now. I’m just ready to do the work.”

This season he’ll team up with fellow rookie Andrew Thomas, the Georgia tackle that the Giants used their fourth overall pick on. The pair of tackles are familiar with each other, having both trained at EXOS in Pensacola, Fla. before the combine.

Peart spoke volumes about his new teammate.

“He’s an amazing tackle, he’s a real true talent when it comes to offensive line play. I definitely picked up some things from him with my time down there,” said Peart. “I definitely consider him to be a brother... He can’t get rid of me now. I’m looking forward to it and I’m happy he’s coming to the city.”

No doubt Giants fans would love to see this pair become a dominant force in front of Daniel Jones for years to come.