With their second pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the New York Giants select Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz.
Prior to the pick of Schmitz, general manager Joe Schoen aggressively tried to trade up to no avail. With Joe Tippmann going to the Jets earlier in the round, the Giants knew they ran the risk of missing out on Schmitz.
Ultimately, they got their guy.
Schmitz will come in and immediately assume the starting role and help anchor an offensive line that has a tall task ahead of itself within the NFC East.
NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein gives Schmitz a pro comparison of Ben Jones.
Schmitz is a highly consistent zone-scheme center with decent size. He is well-schooled in all phases of the run game. He consistently uses the proper footwork and angles to find early positioning and has the tenacity to finish blocks at a high rate. He has plus football intelligence and makes the calls for his offense. His drive power is average and he can be hit-or-miss getting to second-level targets. Schmitz lacks length and his edges will get a little leaky in pass protection from time to time, but his overall technique and teamwork in the run game should create a plug-and-play opportunity in the pros.
With Schmitz coming in to take over at center, it allows the Giants to keep Ben Bredeson at left guard, ultimately improving their depth at both positions.
