Giants Free Agency Primer: OG Shane Lemieux
Shane Lemieux, OG
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 310 lbs.
Age: 26
NFL Exp.: 4 seasons
College: Oregon
The New York Giants selected Shane Lemieux in the fifth round (150th overall) in the 2020 draft to make him a vital part of this Giants offensive line. But what would unfold over his four-year tenure was far from what the Giants and Lemieux had envisioned, as major injuries impacted the youngster’s ability to succeed.
Before Lemieux put on a Giants uniform, he made quite a name for himself at Oregon, being one of the starting offensive linemen for Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. After getting settled in as a freshman and sophomore, it wasn’t until Lemieux’s junior and senior years that he became the promising guard prospect he became.
In his junior season, Lemieux played in 933 offensive snaps (489 pass blocking) and allowed 11 pressures and two sacks. As a senior, Lemieux took his progress a notch higher. In 935 offensive snaps (497 passing blocking), Lemieux conceded 17 pressures but just one sack in the process. And in each of his two final seasons at Oregon, Lemieux did finish with pass-blocking efficiency scores of over 98 percent.
Despite his success in college, Lemieux found it quite difficult to produce the same results in the NFL. After beginning his rookie season as a backup, Lemieux received his first starting opportunity in Week 8 following the COVID-19 diagnosis of Giants starting left guard Will Hernandez. Though Lemieux held onto the starting role for the remainder of the regular season, he struggled in pass protection.
In nine games (299 pass-blocking snaps played), Lemieux allowed 25 pressures and five sacks. Lemieux allowed three or more pressures in five of his nine starts and had one game with no pressure. Considering how he played in college, his rookie performance was shocking, particularly since he received the opportunity to start in nine games in 2020.
From that point forth, things took a turn for the worse. In 2021, Lemieux suffered a knee injury earlier in camp. Despite trying to play through it come Week 1, Lemieux re-injured it. It was later revealed that Lemieux had damaged his patella tendon, leading him to receive season-ending surgery on September 22, 2021.
Though Lemieux missed virtually all of the 2021 season, he would return in 2022 only to sustain a toe injury in the preseason against the New England Patriots. The Giants placed Lemieux on injured reserve to start the season, and he wouldn’t be activated until Week 11. Despite starting against the Detroit Lions that week and playing in 39 offensive snaps, Lemieux’s struggles continued, allowing five pressures and a sack.
Shortly after, it was revealed that Lemieux had reaggravated his toe injury that same game and was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list soon after. He only played in one game for the second straight season and a combined 56 offensive snaps in two years.
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2023 Recap
Entering 2023, Lemieux regained strength and healed from the handful of big injuries he sustained. The Giants were hoping the young backup could make a comeback in 2023. After an eventful preseason, in which Lemieux didn’t allow a single pressure in 69 pass-blocking opportunities, he would finally get another shot to start against the San Francisco 49ers over Week 3 in place of guard Ben Bredeson.
Though Lemieux didn’t have the best return against the 49ers, allowing five pressures and a sack in 40 pass-blocking snaps, his performance the following week against the Seahawks fared much better. Despite not being named a starter in Week 4, Lemieux did play in 27 pass-blocking snaps that game and allowed just one pressure.
However, his season was once again cut short when, after tearing his biceps in practice following the Giants Week 4 loss, Lemieux was placed on injured reserve on October 23. Following his nine starts as a rookie in 2020, Lemieux has only played six games in over three years (a total of 147 offensive snaps).
Why The Giants Should Re-sign Him
Because Lemieux was absent from so many games over the last three years, his value on the free-agent market probably won’t be very high. So if the Giants are in a pinch with their cap space, they might want to bring back Lemieux, who can play guard and center, on a one-year deal to pad their depth. Seeing he’s 26 years old, the Giants might want to give Lemieux one more chance to produce at the level they’ve expected from him.
Why The Giants Shouldn’t Re-sign Him
If there’s one label that an athlete wants to avoid receiving at all costs over their career, it’s "injury prone," and that, unfortunately, is what Lemieux has become. These injuries that cost him large chunks of the season further stunt his development to the point where if the Giants are going to develop a player, they might as well get a rookie on a smaller contract rather than reinvest in a second contract for a veteran.
Keep or Pass?
Seeing the Giants have the opportunity to pad their offensive line depth in the 2024 NFL Draft and free agency, it is in their best interest to move on from Lemieux. Though he likely won't come with a hefty price tag, Lemieux has simply struggled to stay healthy and ready in three straight seasons, which has hurt his development.
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