Giants OC John Michael Schmitz: The Good, the Great, and the Ugly
The New York Giants finally got a look at their 2023 rookie draft class in action, and one of many players, in particular, a lot of people were anxious to see was rookie center John Michael Schmitz, the team's second-round draft pick whom they are hoping anchors that offensive line for years to come.
Schmitz, who snapped to quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito, did an admirable job. He was crisp in his snap counts and strong in pass protection, and he even made a few key blocks in the running game.
Although his snaps were far from perfect or polished, it was a good sign for Giants fans because of how unsettled the position has been over the last few years. He may not have been the star of the game, but Schmitz's performance was a promising sign for the Giants' future.
Let's look at the good, the great, and the ugly from the rookie center's first NFL performance.
The Good: Pass Protection
Schmitz performed strongly as a pass protector in his first preseason game. He had active feet, which he used to stay in front of the defensive linemen.
His snaps were on point, and his transitions from snap to punch were great. That allowed him to control interior defensive linemen in pass pro. He also did a great job of helping the guards on double teams.
But his best work was identifying the stunts and passing blocks between him and the guards. He did not get pushed back into the backfield or the quarterback's lap.
The center is the key to a quarterback's comfort in the pocket. Because of his blocking, it allowed quarterbacks to escape up the middle.
The Great: Never Quit Attitude
What became evident quickly while watching Schmitz against the Lions is that he does not give up on plays. There were times when he looked like he would get beat, and he kept on fighting and allowed his quarterback a safe escape.
In a particular play, he blocked a defensive lineman, and Tyrod Taylor broke the pocket by running right. The defensive tackle chased Taylor, but Schmitz was able to take an angle to cut off the defender, which allowed Taylor to get away.
Another time the defensive tackle used a secondary move to get by Schmitz, but the rookie was able to redirect and cut him back off.
The Ugly: Blocking On The Move
The one area where Schmitz was not as good was blocking on the move. The interesting thing about this deficiency is that it will become a positive for him. He showed his athletic ability to pull from the center position, similar to how Eagles center Jason Kelce moves.
There were several plays where Schmitz pulled on a run block and made initial contact, but he did not use his hands and could not control the defender on the block. The result was the defenders continued to the ball carrier and could make plays.
When Schmitz gets better at latching on to the defender when he is on the move instead of just using his shoulder to launch into defenders on blocks, his game will jump to another level.
Final Thoughts
This was a great initial game to see all of the skills Schmitz will bring to the table as the new center for the Giants. While nowhere near being a finished product, Schmitz will only improve each week, and watching that growth will be a pleasure.
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