The New York Giants drafted heavily at the offensive line positions in April. Though they really did not address the center position, it looks as if Nick Gates will take that spot in the long-term. He played some right guard and right tackle last year, even if Spencer Pulley starts off the season at center, while Gates gets practice snapping the ball.
Other than rookie Andrew Thomas at left tackle and possibly Matt Peart being the right tackle in the future, the Giants don’t yet have a sure answer at right guard or 2021 and beyond.
Two probable guards to make this year’s 53-man roster are veteran Kevin Zeitler and rookie Shane Lemieux. Both have their pros and cons. However, the right guard decision will be tough moving on in the future.
Who Is the New York Giants Right Guard of the Future?
Kevin Zeitler
The Giants traded pass-rusher Olivier Vernon to the Cleveland Browns in March of 2019 for Zeitler. Zeitler, though his cap hit was large, came over to replace Jamon Brown, who later signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Big Blue offensive line finished middle of the pack last year. Nate Solder had the worst season of his career, Will Hernandez went through sophomore struggles, Jon Halapio proved to be ineffective at the center position, and Mike Remmers played through some back issues. Zeitler was the only bright spot for the Giants offensive line last year, other than Nick Gates.
Though missing two games, Zeitler only allowed three sacks and 22 pressures in 991 total snaps last year. He earned a 76.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus last season. It is unfortunate he has never made a Pro Bowl.
However, the Giants have to be strictly considerate regarding their cap space over the next couple of years. Evan Engram, Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Tomlinson, and others will be expecting a bigger paycheck than their rookie contracts.
Zeitler’s cap hit for this year is $12.5M, which is second-highest on the team behind Leonard Williams. His cap hit then raises to $14.5M for 2021 and is a free agent in 2022.
The one prominent negative to having Zeitler is that his asking price could skyrocket if he keeps playing solid. He also is not getting younger. When 2022 comes along, he will be 32.
Whether he is solid or not in the next two years, do the Giants want to extend him risking his age and risking letting a key asset like Saquon Barkley walk?
Shane Lemieux
The only guard the Giants drafted in April was Oregon guard Shane Lemieux. Lemieux never missed a start from 2016-2019. He only missed one snap as well. That was when his shoe came off against Wisconsin in 2017.
Even though college and the NFL are two different species, Lemieux showed in college his ability as a nasty blocker in the run game as well as being a mainstay starter. Pro Football Focus graded him as the highest run-blocker in the Pac-12 before the 2019 season began. He did not miss a game or snap due to injury.
Lemieux is likely to not start the 2020 season at any position on the offensive line. Kevin Zeitler and Will Hernandez will take the guard positions and either Spencer Pulley or Nick Gates will take center. He would likely take over if a player got injured, however.
Head coach Joe Judge said that Lemieux would cross-train at the center position during training camp. If Lemieux can prove to be a versatile piece for the future of this offensive line, his pros could weigh over Zeitler’s.
Lemieux will not have a high asking price for a couple of years and is only 23 years old. He has his whole career ahead of him.
Choosing him over the veteran Zeitler may be a move Giants fans might not like at first, but if the staff can get Lemieux to perform at a high level and transition to right guard well, he can be a Giant for the next five-plus years.
