The Giants begin the second week of Organized Team Activity (OTA) on Tuesday with no players in the same position on the first team offensive line that were there at the start of last season. This offseason included a complete revamping of the offensive line. Shaun O'Hara and David Diehl, two former Pro Bowlers and Super Bowl Champions, believe the makeover could have a profound impact on not only the effectiveness of the Giants' offense, but on how it fundamentally functions.

"I think this offense will look totally different," O'Hara said. "I think the run game will be more assertive, more aggressive and more consistent. That will help any quarterback out. But I really think the mindset that you can see from the signings and the draft, they're going to be more physical. If you want to win this division, you have to be physical."

"The offense only goes as well as the offensive line goes," Diehl said. "You think about this group and if they continue to work together and stay healthy and build a solid foundation with a Saquon Barkley, a veteran quarterback that has seen everything in Eli Manning and threats on the outside like Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard and Odell Beckham Jr coming back healthy, it's an unbelievable look for an offense."

Nate Solder was the big offseason addition, arriving as an unrestricted free agent in March from the Patriots, where he won two Super Bowls and lost two others, including one to the Giants in his rookie season in 2011.

"It's exciting," Diehl said. "Starting off in the offseason with Nate Solder, a cornerstone at the left tackle position who has played at a high level for a long time and experienced what it is like to not only make the playoffs and win a Super Bowl but to lose one. That's something you want in the locker to spread from a veteran to the rest of the group."

"The offense only goes as well as the offensive line goes," Diehl said. "You think about this group and if they continue to work together and stay healthy and build a solid foundation with a Saquon Barkley, a veteran quarterback that has seen everything in Eli Manning and threats on the outside like Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard and Odell Beckham Jr coming back healthy, it's an unbelievable look for an offense."

Nate Solder was the big offseason addition, arriving as an unrestricted free agent in March from the Patriots, where he won two Super Bowls and lost two others, including one to the Giants in his rookie season in 2011.

"It's exciting," Diehl said. "Starting off in the offseason with Nate Solder, a cornerstone at the left tackle position who has played at a high level for a long time and experienced what it is like to not only make the playoffs and win a Super Bowl but to lose one. That's something you want in the locker to spread from a veteran to the rest of the group."

Solder never made a Pro Bowl in New England, but he protected Tom Brady's blindside and was a critical part of what was one of the most consistently productive offenses in football. The Giants will face a slew of tough pass rushers this season, including DeMarcus Lawrence, J.J. Watt, Calais Campbell, Brandon Graham, Vic Beasley, Cameron Jordan, Ryan Kerrigan and former Giant Jason Pierre-Paul.

"As big as he is, he is also athletic," O'Hara said of Solder. "When you play left tackle in this league, every game you have to wear your hard hat. I think third down, third and long, is the toughest place to be if you're a left tackle, and I think that's where he has excelled. I think it helps out the passing game."

Pass protection problems were only part of the issue for the Giants last season. Only six teams averaged fewer than the Giants 96.8 rushing yards per game last year. They ranked 22nd in the league at 3.9 yards per carry, and only two teams had fewer than their six rushing touchdowns.

"The Eagles had more 10-yard runs than any other team in the league last year," O'Hara said. "All the focus was on the quarterback, but they ran the ball well. You have to run the ball if you want to win this division. If you want to close out games in the fourth quarter with the lead, you have to be able to run it and I think this group can do it."

"And one key component everyone has kind of lost is Rhett Ellison," Diehl added. "He was brought in because he was one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL and now being able to get him back in that responsibility to block at the end of the line of scrimmage at the point of attack, you can really get the offense rolling."

The Giants used the second overall pick of the draft on Saquon Barkley to help reinvigorate the running game, one of Dave Gettleman's three necessary characteristics a team must have to win a Super Bowl (stopping the run and rushing the passer are the other two). O'Hara thinks Solder will help a lot more in the running game than pundits predict.

"I think what he doesn't get enough credit for is that he's a very good run blocker," O'Hara said. "If you want to stay out of third and long, do a better job on first and second down. I actually think moving Ereck Flowers over to right tackle will cater more to Ereck's strengths, his power on that right side and I think it helps the whole unit."

Flowers, who arrived in time to participate in OTAs, has been getting first team reps in competition with Chad Wheeler for the starting right tackle position. Flowers hasn't played right tackle since his freshman year at Miami in 2012. Despite perception, right tackle is not an easier position to play than left tackle. It does, however, require different footwork. Some of the top pass rushers on the Giants' schedule will be lining up over the right tackle more than they will over Solder on Manning's blind side.

"The exciting thing is that the one position that we're sitting here and waiting on is the right tackle position," Diehl said. "It's all based upon competition and who earns the job. Between Ereck Flowers and Chad Wheeler, they understand the magnitude and the opportunity in front of them. When you bring in competition amongst that position and the backups to earn a spot on this team, it is going to make everybody better."

Competition and depth was a common refrain from both Diehl and O'hara, which shouldn't be a surprise given the injuries the offensive line endured last year. Weston Richburg and Justin Pugh combined to start only 12 games.

"I think Weston Richburg and Justin Pugh were really good players and they put forth a lot of effort to be the best they could be," O'Hara said. "It's about the group and the lack of depth has really plagued this team for a while. You have to have good depth and great competition. The Eagles just won the Super Bowl with a backup left tackle. That right there tells you what you have to be able to handle."

John Jerry has started 56 games the last four years with the Giants, but he has been working with the second team during OTAs and could provide valuable veteran depth at guard, and perhaps even right tackle in an emergency.

Brett Jones, who arrived from the Canadian Football League in 2015, took advantage of his opportunity last year after Richburg's injuries and started 13 games, 12 at center. He will have a chance to compete for the starting center job this season with Jon Halapio. So far during the offseason program, the two have been splitting reps with the first group.

"Brett Jones, coming off his first year as a starter after he stepped in for Weston Richburg, did an unbelievable job at center," Diehl said. "Not only moving people at the point of attack and getting his feet out of the hole, which you need to do as a center, but really guiding and directing and taking control of the calls and all the things you need to do up front to take the pressure off of Eli Manning."

Patrick Omameh brings a lot of veteran experience to the line. He started 45 games in the last four seasons, including 13 at left guard last year for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who led the league with 141 rushing yards per game.

"Patrick Omameh, a veteran guard brought in from Jacksonville, was another great addition," Diehl said. "Pat Flaherty, my former offensive line coach who coached him in Jacksonville, had nothing but great things to say about him as a worker and a technician."

The Giants added Will Hernandez with the 34th pick in the NFL Draft out of the University of Texas-El Paso.

"Being able to get one of the best run blocking and pass blocking guards coming into the NFL in Will Hernandez, that's an unbelievable start and complete change for your offensive line," Diehl said.

Hernandez is known for his immense size and bruising, powerful, physical play coming from a pro style system at UTEP.

"I really like Will Hernandez," O'Hara added. "I like the attitude, not just the player. I think the type of kid he is and the type of culture he brings into that offensive line room as a young player, coupled with two veteran guys that are really good players in Nate Solder and Patrick Omameh. I think those two veterans are going to teach the young guys how it's done. Nate Solder has been a premier left tackle for a long time and he's played in some big darn games and I think the young guys are going to look up to him."

All the offensive linemen will be learning Pat Shurmur's new offense  for the first time together.

"The more reps and experience they get, starting off in OTAs, is great for them," Diehl said. "The fact they are all starting at groundwork and framework one learning a new offense together, you can really work on your fits and build that knowledge as a group together. It would be one thing if it was the third or fourth year of an offense and you're plugging in new players and they're till trying to learn with the veterans guiding them along. With everyone on the same page, it makes everyone that much better because everyone is learning at the same pace and diagnosing it the same way and everyone can hone in on their own technique and fundamentals."

The Giants have been traditionally known as a franchise that plays run-first, black and blue power football. When the Giants won their Super Bowls with Eli, they consistently gave him good protection. The pieces appear to be in place to start moving in that direction once again, thanks to the hard work done in free agency and the draft by Gettleman and his front office staff.

"I'm thinking about starting up a clothing line called 'The Hog Mollies'," O'Hara said. "I know who our number one fan would be, and we would have to get permission from Gettleman. I think for Giants fans, and me included, it has been long overdue."