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Giants Land OC John Michael Schmitz in Round 2

The revolving door at center is hopefully over for the next several years.

Patricia Traina

Giants Land OC John Michael Schmitz in Round 2
Giants Land OC John Michael Schmitz in Round 2 /
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The New York Giants finally appear to have their center of the future--and yes, it is a pure center who played the position almost exclusively in college.

The Giants selected Minnesota's John Michael Schmitz in the second round of the NFL Draft with pick No. 57. Schmitz becomes the first pure center drafted by the Giants since Weston Richburg was selected in the second round of the 2014 draft. (Richburg, incidentally, was the last Giants center to start on back-to-back opening days.)

Schmitz is also the second center to be drafted by the Giants to come from the University of Minnesota. In 1989, the Giants drafted Brian Williams from the same school (but in the first round).

Why the Giants Made the Move

With all due respect to general manager Joe Schoen, his attempt to bluff people into thinking that the Giants were fine with what they had on the roster at center just wasn't convincing enough.

The fact is that despite signing veteran JC Hasenauer to a one-year deal, the Giants needed to find themselves a long-term answer at center, especially after investing so much in quarterback Daniel Jones.

And this is not just for pass protection either, which was a problem for the Giants along the interior of the offensive line last year. Jones has had a different starting center in each of his seasons at the helm of the offense. He admitted a couple of weeks ago that it could be challenging to start over every year with a new center because the two need to get on the same page regarding how they read defenses and line protection calls.

With Schmitz, touted as one of the most NFL-ready centers in this draft, on board, the revolving door at center should theoretically be over and done with. And as a bonus, Schitz gives the Giants offensive line a huge missing piece-- New York has its bookend tackles of the future (Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal).

There is hope that Joshua Ezeudu can develop into the starting left guard of the future if he can beat out incumbent Ben Bredeson and challenger Shane Lemieux. At right guard, Mark Glowinski will be the starter this year, but figure the Giants, from their abundance of guards, will look to develop a long-term replacement should they move on from Glowinski after the season.

The bottom line is the offensive line just got younger and potentially better with a value pick that some draft enthusiasts speculated could go in the bottom of the first round. 

Scouting Reports

Inside Football:  Average size (6’3.5, 301 lbs). Sixth-year senior. Smart and polished. Quick off the snap, with hands, with feet. Very sticky once he gets hands on you. Not a wow athlete or mover. Needs to add some upper body mass. Not particularly physical. Hands are strong and active. Patient pass blocker. Great combo run blocker. Alert to what’s going on. Will peal off one block to pick up another and make it look natural. Average anchor. Short arms. Knows positioning.  

Nick Falato: [See full scouting report here.]  John Michael Schmitz is a smart, physical, efficient moving center who is an excellent run blocker with range. His ability to reach block is ideal for zone-rushing teams, but he can easily play in any system. Schmitz exercises good overall body control, footwork, and Combo blocking ability while playing like a famished pitbull with uncooked sirloin at stake (ha, puns).

Schmitz is a good overall pass blocker who is light on his feet. He does well in readjusting through reps to optimize his effectiveness. If I’m nit-picky, I appreciate his run-blocking more than his pass-blocking; pad-level is generally good, but defenders have gotten underneath him while in a half-man relationship - it’s not consistent, but it’s worth noting.

Any team should be happy to draft a player like John Michael Schmitz. I expect him to be a day-one starter for a team. He’s technically sound, has solid play strength, and can execute any block. He’ll hear his name on day one or early on day two.

NFL Draft Bible:  When looking at Schmitz as a prospect, he does the little things really well. Schmitz is always in the right spot at the right time and routinely got the job done on film. He does a fantastic job sustaining blocks, using great technique and an impressive anchor. Schmitz also plays through the whistle, preventing defenders from disengaging and making tackles downfield. 

In the run game, Schmitz plays with great pad level and he does an excellent job at the second level. He easily redirects defenders and uses his lower body flexibility and core strength to block linebackers out of the play. 

At times, Schmitz’s lack of size and length will cause him to get overwhelmed by bigger and stronger defensive tackles. With that being said, there weren’t many negative players on Schmitz’s film and even when he didn’t win a rep cleanly, he was able to prevent his assignment from getting to the ball carrier or quarterback. Overall, Schmitz doesn’t have elite physical tools but he is exactly what teams want in a starting center. 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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