“He sent me a tape out of high school of himself as a young man power cleaning 360 pounds,” Leftwich recalled. “At 17-years-old or anybody, to see someone who could bend and snap and was that powerful, right then we knew if we couldn’t find a place for this guy, there’s something wrong with us.”
Speaking to “Big Blue Kickoff Live” on Giants.com, the 29-year coaching veteran who spent five years at UTEP (Hernandez’s entire collegiate career), says the Giants are getting a complete offensive lineman who is “pro ready”.
“Obviously there’s always an adjustment, but he will have an advantage because we were a pro-style, gap-scheme offense,” Leftwich said. “We were a big power team, a counter team. We ran counter with Will and we probably ran it more with him pulling. I think he’s going to fit into that scheme in the NFL.”
Last Friday, the Giants selected Hernandez in the second round with the 34th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Hernandez was the eighth lineman off the board, and the fourth guard selected overall.
At 6-2 and 327 pounds, Hernandez definitely fits general manager Dave Gettleman’s description of a hog molly.
“One of the great gifts you can get in the draft is when value meets need and we had a solid first round grade on Willie, so we’re thrilled to get him,” Gettleman said after the pick. “He’s exactly what we’re looking for. He’s a power blocker, he’s tough, he finishes strong. He played for an 0-13 team last year and if you look at him in game 13, you know the kid has pride, he has a tremendous amount of pride because he played as hard in that game as he played in game one. You know I love…
