Is J.C. Hassenauer the Forgotten Man on the Giants' Offensive Line?

J.C. Hassenauer has been kind of a forgotten man in the Giants interior offensive line competition, but he shouldn't be.

Author:
Hunter De Siver
Publish date:
Jun 4, 2023 4:00 PM EDT

In this story:

New York Giants

J.C. Hassenauer, Center

Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 295 pounds
2022 Stats: 17 GP/ 0 GS. Zero sacks allowed on 46 offensive snaps

The New York Giants signed former Pittsburgh Steelers center J.C. Hassenauer on April 6 after losing Jon Feliciano and Nick Gates to free agency. Hassenauer was the only player on the roster whose primary position was center until the Giants selected John Michael Schmitz 57th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Hassenauer was originally an undrafted free agent out of Alabama in 2018. He was signed to the Atlanta Falcons practice squad before playing with the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football.

Hassenauer was later signed by the Steelers but was waived at training camp. Pittsburgh signed him again to their practice squad a few months later but eventually promoted him to the active roster in 2020.

Best Case Scenario

Schmitz is expected to get the majority of snaps on Sundays. Still, Hassenauer, who can also play guard, offers more versatility over, say, Ben Bredeson, another veteran offensive lineman who, although able to play guard and center, has limited experience in the latter role.

Hassenauer is also very familiar with Giants head coach Brian Daboll, his offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2017 and a large factor in managing the Crimson Tide’s 2018 CFP National Championship run. Hassenauer was a starter on an offensive line that included four future NFL starters.

Although it’s been a few years, Daboll remembers why Hassenauer stood out on the Crimson Tide’s offensive line, and it may carry on in New York.

“He’s a smart, tough guy,” Daboll said before the 2017 National Championship. “To play offensive line, you have to have both of those qualities. You’ve got to be able to work well with guys that are beside you and handle the roles that you need to handle in terms of playing that spot. He’s done a really good job of working all year, whether he was starting or not starting,”.

The 2018 undrafted free agent has only started in seven games, but he hasn’t allowed a single sack in 545 career snaps with the Steelers. If Hassenauer can also show proficiency at guard this summer, he could potentially push Bredeson for that roster spot. And if, for some reason, Schmitz isn't ready for full-time duty or is injured, the Giants know they have an experienced center on the roster on standby.

Worst Case Scenario

Hassenauer signed a one-year deal with the Giants when he became their only pure center on the roster in April. Two weeks later, New York drafted Schmitz, who became the projected starter.

At 27 years old, Hassenauer is heading into what are usually peak years for offensive linemen, per FiveThirtyEight. Should Schmitz earn the starting job, Hassenauer’s future time in the NFL after this season may diminish greatly unless he can beat out Bredeson for a swingman role along the interior.

What to Expect in 2023

As long as Schmitz is healthy, he will be the starting center. But that doesn't mean there isn't a role for Hassenauer if he can edge out Bredeson for the primary backup role at center.