OL Matt Peart’s time with Giants could be running out

Suffice it to say that Matt Peart has yet to develop into the player the New York Giants hoped they were getting when they drafted him in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Peart has shown promise at times, but has mostly struggled to earn consistent playing time and has already dealt with an ACL tear.

That doesn’t mean his time with the Giants is up. It does, though, mean he’s heading into training camp with a lot to prove.

By the numbers

Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 318
Age: 26
Position: Offensive tackle
Experience: 4
Contract: Year 4 of four-year, $4.329 million rookie deal | 2023 cap hit: $1.302 million

Career to date

Peart was a third-round pick out of UConn in 2020, one in a line of many players the Giants have tried to slot into their tumultuous right tackle position.

Peart bounced in and out of the lineup as a rookie, taking snaps at both left and right tackle. He played like you’d expect a young third-rounder to play: some flashes of potential and some games where he appeared overwhelmed.

While Peart’s fellow 2020 draftee Andrew Thomas took a huge leap forward in his second year, Peart continued to struggle. Nate Solder beat him out for a starting role in training camp and Peart returned to rotational duty, eventually starting four games midway through the season. His year ended with a torn ACL in Week 15.

Peart appeared in just four games last season. His snap count was limited with Evan Neal and Andrew Thomas firmly entrenched as the starting tackles. He played 62 snaps in Week 10 with Neal nursing a knee injury, but that was the only time he played more than 50% of a game.

2023 outlook

Time is running out for Peart to give the Giants a reason to keep him on the 53-man roster. He has the freakish size and successful track record in college, but he has yet to consistently play like a reliable NFL lineman. He’ll be on the bubble throughout training camp as part of a particularly unpredictable offensive line group.

There’s more depth at guard than tackle, which bodes well for Peart. But Thomas and Neal are expected to play every down, and Tyre Phillips will likely be the next man up. That could leave Peart’s services slightly redundant.

In addition to Phillips, Peart will be competing with veteran journeyman Korey Cunningham.