The New York Giants have selected Oregon guard Shane Lemieux in the fifth round (No. 150 overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Dave Gettleman continues to add depth to the offensive line in this year’s NFL Draft.
On Saturday, the New York Giants general manager decided to take Oregon guard Shane Lemieux in the fifth round (No. 150 overall). Out of five picks, the Giants have now selected three offensive linemen. They additionally drafted offensive tackles Andrew Thomas and Matt Peart in the first and third rounds, respectively.
Over the last four years, Lemieux started all 52 games for the Ducks at left guard, a position that Will Hernandez currently resides in for the Giants. He was a tremendous talent at the collegiate level, having earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors in both 2018 and 2019 (his redshirt junior and senior campaigns). He was also a second-team AP All-American this past season.
At this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, Lemieux registered at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds while sporting 32.25-inch arms and 9.5-inch hands. He ran a 5.11 40-yard dash while recording a 25.5-inch vertical jump, 107-inch broad jump, and 4.9-second 20-yard shuttle.
How will he fit into the Giants offense?
As was said before, Hernandez is the team’s starter at the left guard spot and has been ever since the Giants took him in the second round of the 2018 draft. At right guard, Big Blue employs Kevin Zeitler, who started 15 games for the Giants last season after they traded for him in March 2019.
Thus, it’s going to be real tough for Lemieux to find time at either of those spots initially. But what if he’s the next man up when it comes to the center position? What if the Giants decided to go with an athlete like Lemieux in hopes of moving him to that spot instead of taking someone like San Diego State center Keith Ismael?
What if they were targeting Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz and after he went to the Cowboys at No. 146 overall, this was New York’s backup plan?
These are all just ideas right now. But soon enough, we’ll figure out the team’s plans for Lemieux, who may just be a reserve lineman at first.
