Getty Eli Manning of the New York Giants talks to David Diehl, Shawn Andrews, Rich Seubert, Adam Koets and Kevin Boss in the huddle
Like many of the Big Blue faithful, former New York Giants pro bowl center and Super Bowl XLII champion, Shaun O’Hara, has come away thoroughly impressed by the team’s offseason.
Draft steals such as Xavier McKinney, big-ticket free-agent additions like James Bradberry, and the insertion of ex-Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett into the coaching staff, have all garnered the majority of the public’s attention.
However, as you’d likely expect, the ex-11-year NFL offensive lineman chose to stick to his roots while casting his approval over the slew of new Big Blue additions in a recent airing of NFL Network’s NFL Total Access Live. Namely 5th-round selection, interior o-lineman Shane Lemieux.
He’s [Lemieux] a solid player who reminds me a lot of [former guard] Rich Seubert, a buddy of mine who played to my left, very savvy, very tough.
Giants Hope Lemieux Can Show Similar Versatility to Seubert
Comparing Lemieux to Seubert, a nine-year NFL vet with 88-career starts under his belt, is awfully high praise. Especially for a mid-round draft pick set to transition to a foreign position this offseason. However, the projected switch Lemieux is set to make from guard to center is likely a huge reason for the comparison.
Lemieux played his entire Oregon career at left guard, starting 52 games at the position. He also happened to be damn good at it, earning two All-Pac-12 second-team selections over that time. Yet, with Will Hernandez and Kevin Zeitler cemented as Big Blue’s two starting guards, and a gaping hole in between them, New York is hoping Lemieux can show similar positional flexibility to that of Seubert, and slide over to center.
Like Lemieux, Seubert played predominantly at guard throughout his playing career. Yet, when O’Hara went down with an Achilles injury in the 2010 season, it was he who was called upon to take over at center.
Lemieux Projected as Giants ‘Surprise Rookie Gem’
O’Hara is far from the only one casting high-expectations on the 5th-round draft pick. In a draft class that consists of beloved slot-corner, Darnay Holmes, and “culture driver” Cam Brown, it’s Lemieux who Pro Football Focus has predicted to be New York’s “Surprise Rookie Gem.”
Incoming fifth-round pick Shane Lemieux could snag a starting role if he undergoes a smooth transition from guard.
‘He’s a guy that’s going to have interior swing value,’ Giants head coach Joe Judge said, per NJ.com’s Matt Lombardo. ‘We’re going to cross-train him guard and center. It’s going to be something he has been working on out at Oregon, and we’re going to keep on building with that, as well.’
Lemieux started 52 consecutive games at left guard for the Oregon Ducks. The transition might be difficult.
But the Giants wanted to revamp their offensive line and did so with multiple draft selections. Each will compete to play sooner rather than later.
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