Seahawks NFL Draft Target? Minnesota Center John Michael Schmitz is 'That Guy'

Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz is among the top prospects at his position and would fill a long-term need for the Seattle Seahawks.

As Mitch McDeere (of John Grisham’s The Firm) once said, “It might not be sexy, but it’s got teeth."

While the national draft experts appear eager to project Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson as the Seattle Seahawks new signal-caller, the team has additional first-round draft capital to solidify the middle of the offense for the foreseeable. 

Should Richardson indeed be the Seahawks' choice at No. 5, they may be smart to keep a sharp eye on Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz when selecting at 20 overall — or perhaps on Day Two. 

The 6-3, 301-pound center earned AP All-American and all-conference honors for the Golden Gophers in 2022. By all accounts, he has both the size and savvy (a.k.a. ‘Football IQ’) to be a starting caliber center in short order. Schmitz is at his best in an inside zone and between-the-tackles gap running system. However, he has also displayed some adaptability to outside zone concepts as well. Still, the 24-year-old’s greatest asset is his ability to identify pressure and set his body to absorb it. To his greater credit, Richardson can turn the tables on his opponents at the point of attack. 

In fact, his pro-ready skill set caught the eye of Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, who recently sang Richardson’s praises on Bump and Stacy of Seattle Sports 710AM.

“He’s what you’re looking for at center,” Nagy said. “He’s played a ton, he can handle it mentally, he’s a good communicator, he’s tough, he’s durable, and he’s strong. That’s probably the biggest thing for me. Every year we have guys that show up here in Mobile and at different levels of the board are better than I thought they were. Schmitz is that guy.”

Schmitz is clearly on Seattle’s radar, having already met with the team at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this month. While selection 20 may be admittedly a high price, the Seahawks are in the market for a center, with only incumbent starter Joey Hunt on their current depth chart. 

Seattle may see the 2023 Draft as a great opportunity to snag its future man under center. However, Schmitz could be the solution to the team's long-term ‘man in the middle’ plans, as well. 

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