Quick feet. Unparalleled anger. Aggressiveness. Strong hands. Flexibility. These are all traits that correlate to New York Giants‘ former undrafted free agent, Nick Gates.
Gates is vying for a starting position on the offensive line this year, as he will compete at both center and right tackle. With Jon Halapio going down with a torn ACL last year, Gates now has an opportunity to cement himself as a starter in the NFL.
He will be competing against Halapio, Spencer Pulley, and Shane LeMieux at center 2020 season. With training camp starting next week, the hard work is about to begin. However, this off-season hasn’t been a standstill for Nick. He has been working with Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr over the summer, specifically under center.
While Gates showed some quality potential in 2019, he has plenty of work left to do and refinement in his future. Against the Jets last year, he was able to diagnose a diverse Gregg Williams’ defensive scheme. He threw the kitchen sink at the Giants’ offensive line, trying to test them, which ultimately worked.
Gates managed to hold his own, though, making some impressive plays throughout the contest, as Nick Falato from Big Blue View states.
This performance springboarded him into starting consideration. Center remains his best opportunity. He will also compete at right tackle where Nate Solder, Matt Peart, Cameron Fleming, and even Andrew Thomas will be battling.
General manager Dave Gettleman has made it a priority to finally solve the offensive line. He also has incredible faith in Gates, stating:
“We have faith in Nick Gates, the kid we signed two years ago, a free agent we signed out of Nebraska. He missed his rookie year on IR, but last year he made a lot of progress. We are excited about him.â€
If the New York Giants manage to elevate a former undrafted player to a starting position, not only will it help them financially, but it will once again show how gifted Gettleman is at finding value in the offensive line.
Gates finished last season with 290 overall snaps — 203 at right tackle, 77 at right guard, and 16 as a jumbo tight end. He allowed just one sack and zero penalties.