When the New York Giants saw Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz fall to them in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, they couldn’t get to the podium fast enough. It was a no-brainer choice.
While many believed Schmitz was a first-round talent, he somehow slipped to the Giants at No. 57 overall. But everyone else’s loss was their gain.
Now with the Giants, Schmitz is already looking ahead and mapping out a course to earn his teammates’ respect through hard work and dedication.
“You’ve got to earn their trust and that’s by how hard you work. When you come in every day with a mindset that you’re going to get better and at the end of the day, trust is earned over time — with time, consistency and proof,” Schmitz told reporters. “Those three things don’t happen overnight, so it’s going to — obviously hard work on the field and in your playbook, with your body, taking care of yourself and just honestly being a part of that team and getting close with one another.”
Schmitz joins a youthful offensive line that the Giants have addressed via the draft over the last several years. Some of those additions include All-Pro Andrew Thomas and 2022 first-round pick Eval Neal.
The Giants’ offensive line unit must be a tight-nit group in order to be successful and it certainly seems like that is one of Schmitz’s priorities in getting to know his teammates. His chemistry with Daniel Jones will also be essential to improving the Giants’ offense.
As the Giants continue to improve their roster, Schmitz has the right attitude and team mentality that Big Blue will look to build around for years to come.
