The Giants were quiet in free agency when addressing the offensive line, adding only swing tackle Marshall Newhouse, but that was not the case in the draft. With the ninth overall pick, the Giants selected the top player remaining on their board, Ereck Flowers of the University of Miami.

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A starter at left tackle for the Hurricanes, Flowers, at 6-6, 330 pounds, has the attitude and mean streak to match his imposing size. Expected to prepare to play either tackle position, Flowers has the opportunity to help out immediately on the offensive line after working on fine tuning some of his technique with offensive line coach Pat Flaherty.

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Flaherty will also have seventh round pick Bobby Hart in his meeting room. A tackle at Florida State, Hart will move to guard in the NFL and compete for a roster spot and playing time this offseason.

The Giants were given another challenge on the offensive line this week. Will Beatty will miss significant time while recovering from a torn pectoral muscle, which means the Giants will have to figure out who will fit best as a short-term replacement at left tackle.

When asked about the potential starters on the offensive line, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo has simply said that the best five linemen will be on the field.

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Whether that means Justin Pugh moving inside or to the left side remains to be seen. With Weston Richburg moving to center and Geoff Schwartz potentially moving around as well, as many as four players could be at different spots on the offensive line in 2015. Whatever the configuration of the line, the Giants hope for better protection for their quarterback and push up front for their running game in 2015.