Center John Michael Schmitz. scouting reports

[MightyGiants]

33rd team

SCOUTING REPORT
By The 33rd Team

Positives:
Smart player that can pick up stunts and can see quickly.
Plays with toughness and good effort.

Negatives:
Has some lower body tightness which limits his mobility.
Ordinary to move laterally and is an average athlete which holds him back against finesse rushers.

Bottom Line:
Schmitz is a steady player that lacks any top level traits athletically. He is a bit tight in the lower body, he is ordinary to move laterally. He does play with a good base and balance although his pad level can get high at times. He shows good strength and toughness, can control people with his hands to establish the line of scrimmage.


Schmitz has good enough feet to reach and turn out in the hole when battling defenders. He is very aware and a smart player that can pick up stunts and games with ease. Overall, John Michael Schmitz has end-of-the-day production, but it is not always pretty getting to the finish line he will eventually starter in the NFL at center.



Pro Comparison: Hank Fraley (11-Year Veteran, Undrafted in 2000 NFL Draft)


McGinn

1. JOHN MICHAEL SCHMITZ, Minnesota (6-3 ½, 303, 5.31, 2): Sixth-year senior. "I have him ahead of Tippmann," one scout said. "He's my best center. Has a wrestling background. Very tough. Big and physical. He reminded me some of that kid that came out of Wisconsin, Travis Frederick. Has some athletic limitations but I think he can fit in both a gap and a zone scheme. He's a good enough athlete. He's played a lot of football. He's a plug-and-play, Day 1 starter." After redshirting in 2017, seldom getting on the field in '18 and starting four games in '19, he started all 31 games at center from 2020-'22. "Plays on his feet, works to finish, solid in the run game and pass pro," a second scout said. "It wouldn't surprise me if he starts right away. He has guard flex potentially, which is a big thing." Wonderlic of 22. "More fun to watch than he is talented," a third scout said. "We have him later in the draft. Center only. He's stiff and bends at the waist. Balance and body control are an issue. He's on the ground too much. Now, he is a XXXXX. He'll try to kill you on every play. But plays out of control." Arms were 32 5/8, hands were 9 ½. "Heart and hustle," said a fourth scout. "Gets in the way but nothing overly athletic about him. Just a smart, tough, heady player. He'll start." From Flossmoor, Ill.

NFL.com

Player Bio
Minnesota brought in Schmitz as a three-star recruit and top-10 center prospect nationally out of Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Illinois. He played in 13 games as a reserve his redshirt freshman campaign, then started four of 13 games played at center the following year. Schmitz started six games in 2020, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from league coaches for his efforts. He was a second-team All-Big Ten Conference pick in 2021 as a 13-game starter for the Gophers. Schmitz returned for a sixth season in 2022, garnering first-team Associated Press All-American and all-conference honors for his play in 12 starts. He opted out of the team's bowl game. Schmitz was a second-team Academic All-American selection in 2022. -- by Chad Reuter

Analysis
By Lance Zierlein
NFL Analyst
Draft Projection
Rounds 1-2
NFL Comparison
Ben Jones
Overview
Schmitz is a highly consistent zone-scheme center with decent size. He is well-schooled in all phases of the run game. He consistently uses the proper footwork and angles to find early positioning and has the tenacity to finish blocks at a high rate. He has plus football intelligence and makes the calls for his offense. His drive power is average and he can be hit-or-miss getting to second-level targets. Schmitz lacks length and his edges will get a little leaky in pass protection from time to time, but his overall technique and teamwork in the run game should create a plug-and-play opportunity in the pros.

Strengths
Makes all the calls up front.
Lateral quickness for reach blocks in outside zone.
Patient to find lateral positioning before engaging the block.
Captures defender's edge with firm outside hand.
Plays with outstanding teamwork inside his scheme.
Consistent as a block finisher.
Maintains proper balance to pass and receive twists.
Able to unlock hips and ankles to drop a sudden anchor.

Weaknesses
Below average adjustments to moving targets.
Can improve his timing when working up to his second block.
Arm length is below average.
Gets overextended with aggressive pass-setting slides.
Allows his edges to become too leaky when his edge is attacked.

Bugler

. JOHN MICHAEL SCHMITZ | Minnesota 6034 | 301 lbs. | 6SR Flossmoor, Ill. (HW-Flossmoor) 3/19/1999 (age 24.11) #60
BACKGROUND: John Michael Schmitz Jr., who is one of four children, started playing football (and hockey) when he was age 5 for the Homewood Flossmoor Junior
Vikings. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, he initially attended Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights and played defensive end on the freshman
team. As a sophomore, Schmitz moved up to varsity and was a two-way starter on the offensive and defensive lines. Wanting to play at a larger program, he
transferred to Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School, where he started at left tackle as a junior and senior, helping the team to a 20-3 record over his final
two seasons. Schmitz earned All-State and All-Conference honors as a senior. He also played baseball and basketball and wrestled at Marian Catholic, but chose to
focus on only football at Homewood-Flossmoor.
A three-star recruit, Schmitz was the No. 16 center in the 2017 recruiting class and the No. 25 recruit in Illinois (fifth-best offensive line recruit in the state). After his
junior season, he received his first offer (Buffalo), one of a half-dozen offers from MAC schools. Schmitz initially committed to head coach P.J. Fleck and Western
Michigan and planned on shutting down his recruitment. However, Fleck was hired as the new head coach at Minnesota in January 2017 and asked several WMU
recruits to follow him, including Schmitz. Dreaming of one day playing in the Big Ten, Schmitz called it an easy decision despite never visiting the Minnesota campus.
He took advantage of the extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic and returned to the Gophers for his sixth season in 2022. Schmitz became engaged to his
fiancée (Daniella Lucari) on New Year's Day 2022. He has two older sisters (Gabrielle and Hannah) and one younger brother (Jack). Schmitz graduated with his degree
in sport management. He opted out of the 2022 bowl game and accepted his invitation to the 2023 Senior Bowl.

STRENGTHS: NFL-quality frame with adequate mass and play strength ... skillfully uses his hands and grip strength to latch-and-strain in the run game ... generates
power from his lower body to drive his man away from the play ... able to angle his hips to seal run lanes ... his hands stay active and fierce in pass protection ... digs in
versus bull rushers and stays stout ... enough range to pick off linebackers as a climber ... nasty on-field finisher ... always looking for work and there are zero concerns
about his competitive makeup ... his coaches rave about his mental toughness and blue-collar mentality (his father is a carpenter and his mom worked as an
electrician) ... logged 35 career starts for the Gophers, missing only two games (one because of injury, one opt-out) the last three seasons.
WEAKNESSES: Lacks desired length and foot quickness ... falls off blocks when he doesn't maintain his balance through engagement ... upper half and hands tend to
react before his lower body, forcing him to lunge or hold ... inconsistent hand placement, timing and sustain versus quick interior rushers ... needs to be more
controlled on the move and keep his eyes elevated when pulling in the run game ... smart player, but his eyes can get wild and he will be late picking up stunts or
delayed pressures ... will be 24 on draft weekend ... was only a center at Minnesota and didn't take a snap at guard or tackle (played left tackle in high school).
SUMMARY: A four-year starter at Minnesota, Schmitz was the anchor of the offensive line at center in offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca's balanced scheme.
Despite losing four starters on the offensive line, the Gophers ranked top-15 nationally in rushing offense in 2022 behind Schmitz, who earned All-American status as
a senior (first Minnesota All-American on the offensive line since 2005). A physical brawler with a wrestling background, Schmitz is at his best in the run game where
his aggressive hands and grip strength allow him to create displacement (Fleck: "It also helps when your best player is your hardest worker."). However, the main
concern for his NFL transition is his tendency to lose his balance, especially vs. quick interior penetrators. Overall, Schmitz must do a better job keeping his feet,
hands and eyes on the same page, but he has the play strength and finishing attitude to execute at the NFL level. With improved consistency, he can be a
functional pro starter.

SIS

Schmitz is an experienced, technically sound, and very intelligent center who should be as close to a plug-and-play starter as there is in this draft.

Scouting by
Jeff Dean
Scouting Report
Overall
John Michael Schmitz is the starting center for Minnesota's RPO-zone, run-heavy scheme. He played in 57 games with 35 starts, all at center. Schmitz has a very thick lower base and could add some muscle to his upper body, although he does not need much with his broad chest. He wrestled in high school and it can be seen in his body control at the point of attack. His foot quickness leaves a little to be desired, as does his movement in the open field. Schmitz is a tough competitor who has led very impressive offensive lines the last several years in a very run-heavy offense. He finishes blocks well and pancakes defenders when given the chance.

Pass Game
Schmitz can be seen calling out potential blitzes and stunts before the play and rarely makes an incorrect read. He has a natural first step into pass pro and is a very consistent snapper. His sturdy base and wide feet give him a good anchor and his broad chest makes it hard for defenders to go through him. Power rushers find little success as he gets into their chest and eliminates their momentum. His ability to pass off defenders, reset his feet, and take control of the line of scrimmage is impressive. He lacks top-end foot quickness but uses his footwork and body control to minimize this exposure. Schmitz is susceptible to shiftier interior linemen, especially on the swim move. Taller defenders are able to get their hands over him to take him out of position. His ability to hip-check these defenders as they try to work past does slow them down, but keeping his head up will be an area of improvement against these defenders. Speed rushers struggle after the first step to Schmitz' ability to shift his weight and drive them off their rush lane.

Run Game
Schmitz is a very sound run blocker who works extremely well in unison with his teammates. He is an adept combo blocker and works seamlessly to the second level. He is not rushed when working in a zone scheme and is able to neutralize the first level of the defense before completely taking out the second level. His power is usually derived from leverage and positioning while working laterally. He does not drive defenders off the ball one-on-one often, but he is not driven back either. Schmitz' hand placement is consistently in the defender's chest, although not with an overly-impressive first punch. His ability in the run game can be considered "boring" because it is so consistent and his communication ability allows for very few mental lapses.

Last Word
Schmitz projects as a quality starter who fits best in a zone-running scheme. His collegiate experience is only at center in a very consistent scheme so there are questions about his fit in other schemes. He has shown the ability to play guard in practices, but this is unproven in games; he would need time to learn the position. His lack of opportunities to block defenders one-on-one in the run game due to the collegiate scheme is also noteworthy, but his FBI, technique, and sturdy base provide optimism for his ability to fit in a different scheme.

Draft Bible

Evaluation: If you're going to draft a center early, Schmitz is the guy. When looking at Schmitz as a prospect, he does the
little things really well. He is always in the right spot at the right time and routinely got the job done on film. He does a
fantastic job sustaining blocks, using great technique and an impressive anchor. Schmitz also plays through the whistle,
preventing defenders from disengaging and making tackles downfield. There is tenacity and violence with the way
Schmitz blocks. He wants to pile-drive the player he is blocking—a quality perfect for an interior offensive lineman. It
doesn't always look pretty, but Schmitz routinely makes a significant impact as a blocker. In the run game, Schmitz plays
with great pad level and he does an excellent job at the second level. He easily redirects defenders and uses his lower
body flexibility and core strength to block linebackers out of the play. At times, Schmitz's lack of size and length will
cause him to get overwhelmed by bigger and stronger defensive tackles. With that being said, there weren't many
negative plays on Schmitz's film and even when he didn't win a rep cleanly, he was able to prevent his assignment from
getting to the ball-carrier or quarterback. Overall, Schmitz doesn't have elite physical tools, but he is exactly what teams
want in a starting center. Schmitz should be a firm Day-2 pick and will be a Day-1 starter at center.
Quotable: "He's what you're looking for in a center. He's played a ton, he can handle it mentally, he's a good
communicator, he's tough, he's durable, he's strong. He's stronger than I thought he was watching him in person against
really good people. He can really anchor, which I questioned a little bit on tape. So he's got everything from the neck up,
he's played a ton of football, he's gonna be able to help the quarterback a ton, you're gonna be able to take a lot off the
quarterback immediately." – Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy on John Michael Schmitz
Background- Participated in the Senior Bowl and was invited to the NFL Combine. A 1.85 ten-yard split, 26 bench press
reps, 29.5-inch vertical jump, 8-8 broad jump, 4.56 short shuttle, 9.5-inch hands, 32 5/8-inch arm, 78 3/8-inch wingspan.
Played high school football at Homewood Flossmoor High School. Was on the Academic All-Big Ten team from 2018-
2021. The son of John and Deborah Schmitz and has a brother and two sisters. Represented by One West Sports.

Rotoworld


JOHN MICHAEL SCHMITZ
C, NEW YORK GIANTS
Giants selected Minnesota C John Michael Schmitz with the No. 57 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
One of the oldest prospects in the draft class, Schmitz (6'3/301) racked up reps blocking for an uber-productive rushing attack in Minnesota. Don't overthink his age, though. Schmitz was responsible for guiding even some of the most unremarkable running backs to 1,000-yard seasons. Additionally, offensive linemen have some of the best longevity in the sport, so Schmitz will simply be in the right place at the right time for years to come. While his 6.7 RAS may be cause for concern, he had a remarkable 4.56 shuttle, landing him in the 80th percentile among centers. The tape backs up this time, as his steady yet quick-processing approach to the game served him well throughout his college career. The four-time Academic All-B1G team member is clinical in both the pass and run games. Schmitz has great timing in dropping anchor when he does find the correct position to do so. Rarely losing in the play leverage battle, Schmitz will need to clean up the other aspects of leverage. The lack of agility translates to poor balance at times, but Schmitz's potential to unlock runs in a zone scheme may be unmatched among his rookie peers.

Apr 28, 2023, 8:53 PM ET

[MightyGiants]

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