New York Giants: 4 players are vying for the starting center position in 2020

Rebuilding an NFL roster can be extremely tumultuous, and for the New York Giants, it hasn’t been an easy process. The team is still currently reinforcing the roster and building out the depth portions at specific positions. Spots like linebacker, cornerback, and the offensive line remain unpredictable. One position the Giants will look to build out will be at center.

Currently, the Giants have Nick Gates, Shane Lemieux, Spencer Pulley, and Jon Halapio competing for a starting spot.

Let’s take a look at each player and how they stack up for a potential starting spot with the New York Giants:

1. Shane Lemieux

The former Oregon starting lineman has worked hard to diversify his skillset and adapt to interior line positions. At 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, Lemieux has a mean streak that shows on tape. He started out at left guard for the Ducks over four seasons, tallying 52 games in total. He was a team captain last year and earn second-team All-American and second-team Pac 12 accolades. He only missed one snap throughout his entire collegiate career, indicating he is a healthy player that takes care of his body.

General manager Dave Gettleman stated that Lemieux “plays mad,” and Judge back that up stating “he plays nasty.”

Aggressive linemen are something Gettleman looks for in the draft, and securing Lemieux in the fifth round is a fantastic value grab. While I don’t anticipate him to be a starting player right off the bat, he has the physical traits to develop quickly. While the center position may suit him better, the Giants will look to insert him at guard as well to test his abilities and if he can act as a solid depth piece. Nonetheless, he will be competing for a starting position at center in 2020.

2. Nick Gates

Gates is an exciting player that the Giants feel strongly about. Having played right tackle and right guard in 2019, Gates has the potential to earn a starting gig this year. His experience at the professional level and quality snaps shown on tape give them a leg up over his competition. While he has no live snaps at center, he has been working with Derek Carr in Las Vegas to refine his abilities. He is a fantastic player to keep an eye on this training camp and preseason.

3. Jon Halapio

Halapio has struggled to remain healthy the past few seasons, tearing his ACL and breaking his leg in 2018. The Giants still have him listed on the roster, but I believe he will act as purely a depth piece or end up a cut casualty after training camp. He has been working this off-season and seems to be returning to shape, but at this point, the Giants can no longer depend on injury-prone players that have suffered significant setbacks. Sticking with Gates/Pulley in the middle might be the more efficient move here.

4. Spencer Pulley

The fourth option is Spencer Pulley, who has worked with the Giants the past two seasons. He is the only center on the roster with tried and true game experience. That factor alone gives him a nice leg up on any competition, including Gates. The former Vanderbilt player is tough and has continuously battled through injuries himself. He has played significant starting snaps in the past, but he hasn’t solidified the starting spot with the Giants since leaving the same Los Angeles Chargers.

He is a young player who has shown solid streaks in blue, especially in framing blocks and shading defenders. He’s a bit stronger than Halapio, which attests to Gettleman’s confidence in retaining him.

The hiring of Marc Colombo, formally of the Dallas Cowboys, should prove useful for many of the offensive linemen currently on the roster, and one might be as inclined to state that Pulley is currently the projected starter at center. That doesn’t take away from the potential of Gates or Lemieux, but neither has recorded live snaps at the position in their young careers.