John Michael Schmitz NFL Draft Overview
Position: Center
Height: 6′-4″
Weight: 320 pounds
School: Minnesota
2023 NFL Drat: John Michael Schmitz NFL Draft Profile
After spending the past six years playing for Minnesota, John Michael Schmitz is finally ready to enter the NFL Draft. Schmidtz is coming off another reliable season for the Golden Gophers, seeing the field for 767 snaps while allowing just two sacks, one quarterback hit, and five hurries.
John Michael Schmitz originally entered the college football world as a three-star recruit. Signing with Minnesota, the Illinois native spent his first two seasons primarily as a backup. He earned a starting job in 2020 but truly established himself as one of college football’s finest during the 2021 campaign. According to Pro Football Focus, Schmitz went the entire season without allowing a single sack or quarterback hit.
Strengths
- Physical run blocker that plays through the whistle;
- Fundamentally sound player that won’t make many back-breaking mistakes;
- Only played center in college, but likely could make the transition to guard in the pros;
- Intelligent – made line calls in college;
- Quick feet to match defenders when zone blocking;
- Understands his assignments and rarely suffers from miscommunications.
Weaknesses
- Not an impressive athlete that lacks the physical skills to handle the NFL’s elite;
- Old – already 24 and 2022 was his sixth year playing college football;
- Inconsistent pass blocker – lacks size and strength to handle pass-blocking duties;
- Struggles to get to second level when run blocking;
- Small arms make it hard for him to engage with defenders.
NFL Comparison: Dan Koppen
Teams With Need At Position: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants
Projection: Round 3
Bottom Line on John Michael Schmitz
John Michael Schmitz might not ever be an All-Pro, but he has the potential to be a reliable starter at a position where the difference between a top-five center and a top-20 center doesn’t really impact the win column too dramatically. Schmitz spent the past six years in college, and he uses that time to master his craft. Fundamentally, his work in the run game is second to none, and the fact that Minnesota trusted him to set protections speaks to his intelligence and understanding of the game. He also possesses the physicality you love to see in an offensive lineman, as he aggressively attacks his blocks and never lets up until the play is over.
The biggest concern with John Michael Schmitz is his age. At 24, the interior lineman was considerably older than just about each and every last one of his opponents, and that won’t be the case at the NFL level. It’s hard to get too excited about a grown man beating the crap out of teenagers, so you do need to take some of his film with a grain of salt. Additionally, by NFL standards, Schmitz is not a great athlete. Granted, athleticism isn’t as important at center as it is at other positions, but it’s still something to monitor.
This lack of athleticism shows up in pass blocking reps, when Schmitz needs to rely more on quickness and reaction strength than pure brute force. Ultimately, John Michael Schmitz is going to be an adequate center, but never a great one. Any team would be fine with him as a starter, but they’d probably always be passively looking for somebody better.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
