When the New York Giants learned that starting right tackle Mike Remmers would miss last Sunday’s game with a sore back, they seemed to go about business without skipping a beat. They inserted former undrafted tackle Nick Gates right into the starting lineup with confidence, and he proved his worth against the Jets.
Gates’ lone mishap was a false start on third down, forcing the Giants backward, which resulted in a punt. Considering the number of mistakes the offensive line has produced in recent weeks, Gates’ first performance was a confidence-boosting one, in fact, he was the most impressive of the five.
Replacing the injured Remmers, the Giants might have found their future tackle on the right side, but it’s far too early to justify his quality. Putting him up against Khalil Mack against the Chicago Bears in week 12 will undoubtedly pose a significant threat to his lone performance. Seeing how he handles himself against the games best pass rusher will give Big Blue some film to work with.
What did Nick Gates do to show he can start for the New York Giants?
One of the exciting aspects that Gates executed on was blocking stunts. His ability to square his shoulders and use lower-back leverage to hold his ground stood out. He has a strong base that can hold up against bull-rushes, which is essentially when a pass-rusher runs full-force into the chest of the offensive lineman.
Another impressive attribute is his work ethic. Gates doesn’t stop blocking until the play is blown dead. He was seen repeatedly finishing off blocks and laying some nice hits on defensive lineman on running plays. He also did a stellar job in helping Kevin Zeitler on stunts, shifting over to ensure they were in sync. His quickness also stands out (check out the clip below).
Nick Gates was the best #NYG OLmen on Sunday…he displayed nimble feet, a low COG/ability to utilize leverage, good mental processing, an ability to mirror up the arc, and solid hand placement. He also did well in the run game. Anchor may need some improvement in some situations pic.twitter.com/rzOJlmwlKi
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) November 15, 2019
In 2018, Gates played at left tackle and guard, giving him experience across the offensive front. Slotting him in at right tackle might be in the best interest of the Giants, as they need more film to justify giving him the starting job in 2020.