Is Samia the steady and experienced interior lineman the Giants need?
The New York Giants have a decision to make at right guard. Jamon Brown was an upgrade over Patrick Omameh, but that bar wasn’t set particularly high. Brown was still penalty-prone and gave up far more pressure than the Giants should be comfortable with. However, if they make the decision to let him test (and possibly leave via) free agency, they will have uncertainty at center, right guard, and right tackle.
But the possibility exists that the Giants could be looking to fill a trio of offensive line holes this year, so we have to pay attention to the guard class as well as the tackles and centers.
Oklahoma’s Dru Samia is one of the most experienced guards in the draft, starting four years for the Sooners. He isn’t the biggest guard, but he has a lot of positive traits to get the job done.
Measurables
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 304 pounds
Pros
- Excellent feet. Easily able to mirror athletic rushers, as well as reposition for better angles or reanchor if initially beaten.
- Very good play strength. Consistently plays with a solid base, maximizing leverage and is rarely beaten by power.
- Athletic. Moves well at the line of scrimmage, as a puller, and at the second level.
- Good situational awareness. Rarely surprised by stunts, twists, or blitzes.
- Constantly looks for work.
- Plays with a nasty streak.
- Good blocker in a zone scheme.
Cons
- Might be too light for some teams.
- Doesn’t have much experience in power or man-gap running schemes.
- Can get into trouble if his base narrows or hips rise.
- Might not be a fit for some teams based on his weight.
Prospect Video
What They’re Saying
“The entire offensive line for Oklahoma was draftable this year, but their center wasn’t eligible — that makes Samia the best of interior players. Samia is an ideal athlete for the interior who regularly wins by framing rushers and striking early to maximize his length. His ability to tag second-level defenders in space will attract heavy zone teams.”
- Ben Solak (TheDraftNetwork - Senior Bowl interior offensive line preview)
Does He Fit The Giants?
Whether or not Samia fits the Giants comes down to two factors. First is whether or not the Giants opt to re-sign Jamon Brown and hope that improved play at center and right tackle will bring improvement from Brown. If so, the Giants’ two guard positions will likely be set for the 2019 season. There will be some who look at Samia’s weight and movements skills and project him to center.
Personally, I would just leave him at the guard position at which he has excelled since the second game of 2016.
The second question is how the Giants envision their blocking scheme evolving over this off-season and into 2019. They ran a variety of schemes, including both man-gap and zone blocking schemes. Most of the tape on Samia is in zone runs, so his ability in man schemes is a bit of projection. However, he is a very good puller, which would give the Giants a pair of talented pullers along with Will Hernandez. He also generally plays with good leverage to maximize his functional strength, and can have a higher level of play strength than some much bigger guards who don’t have his technique and leverage.
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