The New York Giants’ offensive line has stood out during training camp this year. After years of putrid play up front, new GM Joe Schoen made it a point of emphasis to revamp the offensive line. A couple of signings and draft picks later, and the Giants seem to have a much-improved group doing the blocking at training camp. One player who has been receiving a lot of attention at camp is left guard Shane Lemieux. The Giants seem to have a deadset starter at left guard with Lemieux, but Shane did something special this past week to make him a significantly more valuable player.
Newly-signed starting center Jon Feliciano has missed a few practices dealing with heat and hydration issues. During his absence, New York tested out a few different players at the position. Shane Lemieux was able to fill in at center, the first time he has ever played the position. According to reports, Lemieux was actually rather impressive in the new alignment and seems to have added an extra trick to his bag.
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Shane Lemieux increasing his value in Giants training camp
The New York Giants are evaluating their offensive lineman during training camp. Some believed a camp battle could occur at the left guard position. Shane Lemieux was the projected starter heading into the summer, but rookie third-round pick Joshua Ezeudu was believed to be a darkhorse candidate for the position. Lemieux seems to have cemented his name with the first team during camp. But he has also boosted his value by demonstrating his ability to play another position.
Shane Lemieux struggled during his rookie season in 2020. That year, the Oregon product started nine games for the Giants at left guard, giving up five sacks, 14 hurries, and 25 pressures on 281 pass-blocking opportunities. Shane Lemieux posted a PFF pass-blocking grade of 16.9 and an overall grade of 32.2, ranking dead-last among NFL starters.
Despite his poorly-graded rookie season, Shane Lemieux began the 2021 season as the Giants’ starter. Unfortunately, his sophomore season was cut short as an injury suffered during training camp was aggravated in the first game of the season. Lemieux was placed on injured reserve and the Giants were left with a revolving door at left guard for the remainder of the season.
Once again, Shane Lemieux is finding himself with a starting position in 2022’s training camp. The Giants are excited as Lemieux looks like a new and improved version of himself this summer. This could be the year that the 2020 fifth-round pick breaks out and establishes himself as a quality starter. However, at the bare minimum, the Giants know they have a tough offensive lineman that they can rely on to provide depth at more than one position.