The New York Giants hold the 25th overall selection in the NFL draft this year, which is just two weeks away.
What will they do with that pick? Well, that depends on what the other 24 teams ahead of them do. If teams panic and over-draft a few players, the Giants might get lucky and have a top wide receiver or cornerback fall into their laps.
Then again, things could go the other way and general manager Joe Schoen might be stuck using a first-round pick on a second-round talent.
If that happens, the Giants could still be in a great position and perhaps get a player they both want and need. And that player could be a center.
At No. 25, they could be looking at the cream of this year’s center crop, and one player in particular — Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz.
No Giant fan alive would besmirch Schoen if he grabbed Schmitz in the first round. It’s both a value and a need selection. The Giants have been craving a center for a decade and this kid could fill the bill for years to come.
“I continue to hear the Giants are locked onto Schmitz,” writes draft expert Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network. “Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson privately worked him out, and the team brought the center in for an official 30 visit. I’ve had the Giants selecting Schmitz with the 25th pick in the only two mock drafts I’ve done this year.”
No. 25 may be a tad bit too early to take Schmitz, but he’ll likely be gone by the time the Giants draft in Round 2 (No. 57). So, why not take him here?
Taking Schmitz is not the sexy move, we know, but the Giants should not take an undersized wide receiver who will likely play just half of the offensive snaps. A cornerback who plays 100 percent of the snaps or a center who does the same is worth a first-rounder. In other words, a full-time player. Don’t draft platoon or gadget players in the first round.
If the first-round-level corners are gone, Schmitz should be the pick. After all, who touches the football every snap? The center. Who makes the offensive line calls? The center. Who needs a big, strong, smart presence in the middle of their offensive line? The Giants.
It’s a perfect fit.
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