Three Centers Who Could Fit New York Giants

Coach Gene Clemons looks at the center class to see if there are any that can fill the Giants' need at the position.

Since 2010, when Shaun O'Hara anchored the middle of the offensive line, the New York Giants have had 11 starting centers.

New York can no longer afford to have this position be a revolving door or one filled by converted guards and tackles. The commitment to the quarterback is not just in money but in consistency with those that protect him.

This draft is full of talented centers who have the opportunity to come in and pay immediate dividends. The Giants will likely have their choice of any center they believe fits their scheme and philosophy best.

The Great thing is that if they feel that player will be on the board much longer than they should, they could procure that talent without spending a lot of draft capital.

Here are three names to watch for.

 

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Day 1: Pick 25

Because of the depth of premium positions that are considered to have a higher draft value than center, not many have those prospects going in the first round. But that does not mean there aren't guys worthy of first-round consideration.

Minnesota's John Michael Schmitz could be someone the Giants don't feel they can wait until the second round to grab. If they want him and don't think he will make it to 57, they should get him and lock up that fifth-year option.

Schmitz is a guy who comes from a heavy run offense, and more importantly, he's a true center. He came to Minnesota as a center prospect and has become one of the best centers in the game. He is considered by many as the premiere center prospect in the draft.

His 6-foot-3, 300-pound frame is perfect to man the middle of the offensive line. Couple that with his block-finishing ability and ability to make all offensive line calls, and he could be the guy to grow with quarterback Daniel Jones.

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Day 2: Picks 57 and 89

Day 2 leaves so much value at the center position. There is a chance when the day begins, there will still be the full complement of centers on the board, but unfortunately, that does not mean the prospects they are interested in will last to pick 57.

If the Giants want a safe prospect with the least bust value, there is a good chance that prospect will be there for the taking. That prospect is Rimington Award winner Olusegun Oluwatimi from Michigan.

Despite the top center prospects in this draft being from the Big Ten, Oluwatimi was named first-team All-Big Ten. That means all of the coaches knew just how great he was this season and how valuable he was to the overall success of the Wolverines.

Oluwatimi is built perfectly for a center and has the aggressiveness and mean streak that makes him a successful run blocker. He stays on blocks well and is good in one on one pass blocking situations. He has played at a high level in two different programs starting his collegiate career at Virginia, where he was a three-year starter.

Oluwatimi also has the cerebral makeup to lead an offensive line with the chance to grow together. He may not have the highest ceiling of all the center prospects, but he has the highest floor.

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Day 3: Picks 128, 160, 172, 209, 240, 243, and 254

On Day 3, there will still be some quality center prospects available. If the Giants decided to wait to grab one, fans could not be upset because of the talent depth in this draft.

This is when most teams would be looking at guards or tackles to convert, but in this draft, there are so many good centers teams may want to stick to the traditional options at the position. It may be a guy who still has not reached their full potential as a player. That could be Alex Forsyth, the University of Oregon prospect.

Forsyth is one of the best pass-blocking centers in the class of 2023. It is not that he is dominant; it is that he's adaptable. He does a good job of handling any type of rush, but he seems to be the best at working through interior line stunts and picking up second-level blitzes.

He's not as powerful in the run game as the Big Ten centers, but he has the potential to improve in that area. If the Giants are thinking about doubling up at the position since they don't have any on their roster that is game-day worthy, this might be a good late-round play.

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Make sure you keep it here on Giants Country tonight and throughout the draft, as I will bring you immediate reactions from all the Giants Picks and write-ups on all of the new additions. 

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