Giants Player Profile: Shane Lemieux, IOL

2019 Rewind

Shane Lemieux became the Giants’ third offensive lineman selected in the 2020 NFL draft this past April.

Lemieux, a former Oregon Duck known for his mauling style, grew up in Yakima, Washington, and was a three-star recruit out of high school.

He was the ninth overall player coming out of the state of Washington and was nationally ranked as the 34th guard in the 2015 recruiting class.

Lemieux committed to Oregon in 2014 and was destined to become a Duck. At slightly under 6’4" and 310 pounds, Lemieux started 52 of 52 games at left guard in college.

He was an honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic in 2016 and 2017, and a second Team All-Pac 12 in 2018. In 2019, he was a 2nd Team All-American, honorable mention Pac 12-All Academic, and a team captain for Oregon.

Lemieux was a criminal law major in college. He attended the Reese’s Senior Bowl, an event that the Giants have historically leveraged to evaluate the seniors in the upcoming class. He also played well throughout the week as his toughness, tenacity, and strength at the point of attack were all on display.

After the Senior Bowl, Lemieux went to the combine and tested well for his position, running a 5.11 (81st percentile) in the 40 and jumping 107” in the broad jump (77th percentile).

However, his arms are in the 11th percentile at 32 ¼ and his hands are only 9 ½, which comes in at 16th percentile for the position.

I like Dave Gettleman’s thinking on why Lemieux fits in. Lemieux and Will Hernandez are both tough physical run blockers, who theoretically should thrive in systems that bully defenders off the line of scrimmage, and push defenders vertically.

Hernandez struggled to do that last year while playing next to an ineffective Nate Solder and Jon Halapio, the latter of whom doesn’t generate a lot of power at the point of attack.

Lemieux’s addition fits with the gap/power scheme that we anticipate Jason Garrett and Marc Colombo to operate within.

I expect more DUO (power without a puller), pin/pull, and traditional power types of schemes to be implemented. Lemieux fits in with this type of offensive ideology more than Pat Shurmur’s inside zone scheme.

The Giants need to get tougher, stronger, and meaner in the trenches, and I believe that Lemieux brings this intensity level to the team.

He was lauded for his toughness at Oregon and many of the Ducks’ players felt he was the toughest guy on their squad.

Looking Ahead

The offensive line has been upgraded and that is something that comes as a great relief to the majority of Giants fans.

With that said, there is still one big question mark on the offensive line, which is, of course at the center. Halapio started the majority of the games at center in 2019, and while I respect Halapio’s toughness, he doesn’t generate a lot of power at the point of attack.

Halapio tore his Achilles in Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles and is currently rehabbing in hopes of returning in 2020.

The projected starting center is Spencer Pulley, a five-year veteran who saw some playing time last season. Pulley struggled to impress last year when filling in for Halapio, but he looked solid in 2018 when he saw significant action in his first year as a Giant.

There are two other players on the team that will get a chance. Nick Gates, a third-year undrafted free agent who filled in very nicely last year at tackle, and did a solid job at guard, albeit he seemed to struggle with strength and anchor (Christian Wilkens stressed Gates ability to hold up at the point of attack when the Giants played Miami).

The other player is Lemieux, who played exclusively at left guard in college. The Giants hope they can cross-train Lemieux in time to possibly make a run at the starting center position.

This seems like a stretch for Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season, due to the truncated off-season that COVID-19 presented to the NFL.

I feel Lemieux will easily make the team and be a swing interior offensive lineman, who specializes as Hernandez’s backup in year one. I would not be shocked if Lemieux finds himself on the field sooner than later if injuries hit the team.