NY Giants Center John Michael Schmitz Needs to Take a Big Leap Forward in Year 3

When the New York Giants drafted center John Michael Schmitz in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, it was met with nearly universal fanfare, as many believed Schmitz deserved to be a first-round pick. 

Coming out of Minnesota, he was considered the best center prospect in a draft considered to be loaded with talent at the position. His NFL.com prospect grade predicted that he would be a good starter within two years. 

Lance Zerliein, an analyst for NFL.com, compared him to former Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones, a player who spent 11 seasons in the league and started in 151 out of 172 games played. 

Jones' career did not begin smoothly, and Schmitz can relate to struggling early.  He was thrown into the fire in his rookie season, with expectations as high as they had been in a decade. 

The team was coming off a playoff run and needed to add pieces to take a significant step forward. In Schmitz, they hoped not only to elevate the interior of the offensive line but also to have their starting center for the next decade plus. 

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Not only did nothing go right for the team, but nothing seemed to go right for Schmitz, who struggled mightily in pass protection and run blocking and who also dealt with injuries that cost him playing time. 

His pass blocking grade was 26.9 according to Pro Football Focus, the lowest grade given to a center. He was also rated as one of the worst run-blocking centers. 

Even after a sophomore campaign in which he played much better, it is difficult to shake off the stench of his rookie year.

John Michael Schmitz, C

Height: 6-4
Weight: 320 lbs.
Exp: 3
School: Minnesota
How Acquired: D2-'23

2024 in Review

There was nowhere to go but up after his first season. And so Schmitz did just that–barely.

The 2024 season saw Schmitz make significant improvement after his disappointing rookie campaign, which didn’t come close to approaching expectations. 

Last season, Schmitz was able to hold up better at the point of attack against the bull rush than he did as a rookie. While he showed more poise in pass protection, it was far from superior. And per PFF, his pass block grade improved by 23 points in 2024. 

He made a dramatic improvement as a run blocker in 2024, finishing the season with a PFF run block grade of 67, which ranked him 17th among centers in the league. 

Part of his improvements in the run game can be attributed to the maturity that another season in the league brings, and the presence of new offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo could also be a factor. Schmitz, who again missed time due to injuries, just looked like he operated at a more controlled pace last season.

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NY Giants Contract/Cap Info

Schmitz signed a four-year, $6.37 million contract with the New York Giants that included a $1.63 million signing bonus and $3.42 million guaranteed. 

In 2025, Schmitz will earn a base salary of $1.329 million and have a cap hit of $1.73 million. Should, for some reason, the Giants decide to move on from him this year, they’d save $1.329 million and have dead money hits of $408,788 this year and next year.

2025 Preview

Giants head coach Brian Daboll has already spoken about how pleased he is with Schmitz's progress, so he probably will not find much opposition for his job in training camp.

But make no mistake about it, there will be pressure on him in 2025, even if it does not originate from inside the locker room. In Year 3, Schmitz should be a quality centerpiece on an offensive line. 

Schmitz will either enjoy the continuity of a fully intact offensive line or the added boost of a bigger, more physical guard on his right side to help move bodies. 

There are no excuses left for him. If he does not maintain a consistent performance throughout the season, the Giants have the flexibility to bring someone in at the position. 

Schmitz has continually improved his entire football career, so there is no reason to believe that he will not continue that trend this season. He has put on size and with it, more strength. 

Being more physically imposing will enable him to regain the advantage through his intellect.

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