What Impact Will John Michael Schmitz Make for Giants O-line?

What will John Michael Schmitz’s rookie season look like assuming he’s the day one starting center?

Author:
Andrew Parsaud
Publish date:
Jul 5, 2023 8:00 AM EDT

In this story:

John Michael Schmitz, Center

Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 320 pounds
2022 stats: GP 12 / GS 12: 106 pass blocking snaps, two sacks allowed, eight pressures allowed

The Giants appeared to have struck gold when they drafted center John Michael Schmitz with the 57th pick this past April’s draft. Schmitz was touted as the top center in the class but was the second one taken off the board, behind Wisconsin's Joe Tippmann.

No matter, as the Giants were seemingly pleased with having landed Schmitz. New York has struggled with finding pieces to fit along the offensive line, and arguably the position they’ve struggled the most to keep a consistent player at is center, where they haven't had the same opening-day starter two years in a row since Weston Richburg did so in 2015 and 2016.

Adding Schmitz as a Day 1 plug-and-play starter at center is one of Joe Schoen’s best offseason moves, as it potentially solidifies the position for the next decade and gives quarterback Daniel Jones some stability up front.

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Best Case Scenario

The best case for Schmitz in his rookie year is to memorize the Giants' complex offense and stick to what he does best. Schmitz is known for having a high football IQ and had no problems calling protections and being a leader at Minnesota.

The Giants will face tough defensive lines, especially within their division. The Eagles have Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. The Cowboys have Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa. The Commanders have Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen.

Those are just a few interior defensive linemen that Michael Schmitz will have to face as a rookie. Holding his own against those kinds of players and, most importantly, protecting Jones will make Michael Schmitz’s rookie season a success.

Worst Case Scenario

For most offensive linemen, adjusting to the speed of the NFL is a challenge. Going up against bigger and faster defensive linemen is a part of the learning curve that new offensive linemen have to take.

The worst thing that can happen for Schmitz is that he is not as ready as the team hoped and isn't their Day 1 starter. If that is the case, it's not necessarily the end of the world. Schmitz’s talent is still the best they’ve had at the position in years, and even if he's not ready to start in Week 1 for whatever reason, at some point this year, assuming he's healthy, he will get the nod.

What to Expect in 2023

Schmitz will likely be the Giants’ starting center when they take the field on September 10, and the plan is that for as long as he's healthy, he will be the one snapping the ball to Jones every week.

The hope is that those two can develop chemistry fast, which they already have, based on the spring workouts. Schmitz is employing a dead ball snap, which Jones has never dealt with but is more than comfortable using.

Expect Schmitz to be one of the best offensive linemen on the team. The Giants hope he can be the constant piece in the middle that this offensive line needs.