The New York Giants selected Minnesota Gophers center John Michael Schmitz with the 57th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft on Friday night in Kansas City.
Here are five quick things to know about the newest Giant center.
It's no surprise he's a Giant
Schmitz was mocked to the Giants by just about every major draft analyst at some point during the pre-draft process. Include the USA TODAY universe among that group.
The Giants were in the market for a center and Schmitz has that George Young/Ernie Accorsi skill set that made for championship offensive lines here in the past.
Tale of the tape
At this year’s NFL combine, Schmitz was measured at a shade under 6-foot-4 and weighed in at 301 pounds. He ran the 40 in 5.35 and did the 40-yard shuttle in 4.56 seconds.
As one offensive lineman (Bryan Bulaga) told me years ago, “If you have to run 40 yards during a game either something very good — or bad — just happened.”
That aside, Schmitz has shown some mobility and will add a new dimension to the Giants’ O-line.
A decorated prospect
Schmitz could have easily been a first-round pick and has the resume to prove it. He has been recognized on and off the gridiron.
On the field:
2023: Senior Bowl. 2022: AP First Team All-America, FWAA First Team All-America, Walter Camp Second Team All-America, All-Big Ten First Team. 2021: All-Big Ten Second Team, All-Big Ten Third Team. 2020: All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. 2019: RTB Trust Award.
Off the Field/Academic:
2022 Academic All-America Second Team and Academic All-District Team. Academic All-Big Ten: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
Schmitz is the fifth Gopher ever to be named an Academic All-American and also an All-American for his on-field play. He joins Bob Hobert (1956), Bob Stein (1968), Greg Eslinger (2004, 2005), and Maxx Williams (2014) in being named an All-American for academics and athletics.
A Gopher legend
Schmitz played in 57 games at Minnesota and made all 35 of his starts at center.
He was the No. 1 ranked center by Pro Football Focus for the 2022 season, a First-Team All-American and a Rimington Trophy finalist.
He blocked for some of the most prolific and powerful offenses in school history and according to PFF, he allowed only two sacks, three quarterback hits, and 14 hurries during his career, which included 2,026 snaps at center.
He's a legacy
Schmitz is not the first Minnesota center to be chosen by the Giants in the NFL draft.
In 1961, they took Greg Larsen 81st overall (Round 6) and he ended up playing 179 games over 13 seasons for Big Blue. He was under center for some of the greatest offensive teams in Giants history snapping the ball to Hall of Fame players such as Y.A. Tittle and Fran Tarkenton.
In 1989, the Giants took Brian Williams at 18th overall and was inserted into the “Suburbanites” offensive line as head coach Bill Parcells called them. He was the center on the Super Bowl XXV championship team and played in a total of 129 games over a nine-season career for the Giants.
