John Michael Schmitz, IOL (Minnesota)
A center in the first round?
Last year, I was a huge fan of two prospects out of the University of Minnesota - Daniel Faalele and Ko Kieft. Faalele made headlines with his massive frame, while Kieft served as a gritty blocking tight end that would go on to play a hybrid fullback role at the next level. Together, they contributed to a highly-aggressive and physically-imposing offensive line. That being said, John Michael Schmitz was the brains behind this unit. His play in 2021 was nothing short of dominant, and he raised the bar even higher in 2022 with an exceptional campaign. As a result, Schmitz has emerged as one of the top interior offensive line prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft, with many analysts, myself included, placing him toward the top of their rankings. Schmitz's strength, agility, and unrelenting tenacity make him a formidable force on the field and a highly-coveted talent for any team looking to bolster the trenches.
COLLEGE CAREER OVERVIEW
After being rated a 3-star recruit by ESPN and receiving a 3-star grade from 247 Sports, John Michael Schmitz chose to join Minnesota following his time at Homewood-Flossmoor High School.
As a freshman in 2018, Schmitz played in 5 games and only saw 17 snaps, but managed to avoid any QB hurries, hits, or sacks.
The following year, as a sophomore, he played in 12 games and 452 snaps, giving up just one QB hurry, one QB hit, and no sacks.
In 2020, as a junior center, Schmitz played in 6 games and totaled 422 snaps, conceding 4 QB hurries and 2 QB hits with no sacks.
As a senior in 2021, he played in 13 games and accumulated 837 snaps while allowing only 5 QB hurries and no hits or sacks.
Finally, in 2022 as a fifth-year senior, Schmitz saw action in 12 games and played 767 snaps, giving up 5 QB hurries, one QB hit, and 2 sacks. Additionally, JMS earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for his play. Not only that, but he also received recognition as an AP first-team All-American and earned an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
STRENGTHS
Schmitz possesses near-elite functional strength, which is evident in his upper body and core. He can maintain his anchor even when faced with heavy resistance, using his strength to control defenders within his frame and channel power from his base. Schmitz can create open lanes at the A gap and wall off defenders using his mass, and he can draw ample force from his lower body to displace opponents. He also has the ability to sustain power exertions and move defenders with a steady leg drive. Schmitz maximizes energy output by extending his contact and launching into opponents, delivering great initial knock-back power. Even when facing longer opponents, Schmitz's grip strength and stifling core allow him to flex and maintain his anchor.
As a center, Schmitz exhibits desirable athletic traits. He can move laterally and get outside the 1-tech off the snap while maintaining enough space to flip his hips. This allows him to work across-face against the 1-tech and navigate gaps with relative ease. Schmitz is also adept at tracking outside, using steady lateral shuffles while displaying good range when pursuing defenders to the sideline. He accelerates into blocks when in the open field and can pursue linebackers at varying depths when heading to the second level. Schmitz possesses solid change-of-direction abilities, and his impressive overall flexibility is evident in his control over his hip alignment. He can flip his hips as he works across-face and redirect when defenders move outside. Moreover, Schmitz's hip flexibility allows him to swivel around opponents while maintaining his anchor, effectively sealing them off from plays.
Experience and physical tools pair well with Schmitz’s football IQ and awareness in both the run and pass phases. As a run blocker, Schmitz is patient, allowing defenders to work across-face before sealing them against the guard to create interior lanes. He also excels at stacking blocks when moving to the second level and diverting upfield after flushing out contain defenders. Similarly, in pass protection, Schmitz demonstrates exceptional mental agility. He immediately raises his head after initial blocks to identify delayed rushers and effectively picks up blitzers while maintaining his anchor. Schmitz maintains an active help mentality, avoids tunnel vision, and surges toward unencumbered rushers when identified. He consistently exploits opponents who sacrifice leverage but remains calculated and precise with his finishes, blocking until the whistle.
Wrapping up his strengths, footwork and hand usage are both notable skills that jump out when watching Schmitz’s tape. He has a quick and strong base that allows him to stabilize his center of gravity and absorb power effectively. Schmitz can also roll back while maintaining his balance, and he has active footwork that helps him redirect opponents. He is able to keep his base steady while adjusting his alignment in real-time to maintain leverage. In terms of hand usage, while not necessarily perfect, Schmitz shows flashes of brilliance. He attacks his opponent's torso with two-hand punches at the snap, then widens his grip and latches onto their frame. He has tight hands that he uses to control defenders while matching their lateral movement. Schmitz also quickly replaces his hands against power rushes and re-anchors himself. He has a fast hand capacity and can swat extensions and latch in quick succession.
WEAKNESSES
Schmitz is a center with room for improvement in several operational areas. His tendency to play too tall into contact and anchor too high up detracts from his leverage, and he sometimes loses power output by drifting upright after contact. While he can play with lean, he occasionally leans too much and loses control on moving blocks in space. As mentioned before, Schmitz's hand placement can also be an issue at times, as his hands sometimes drift too high when establishing anchors and he doesn't always establish a solid grip on contact, resulting in lurches and lost balance. He needs to work on more precise and efficient initial placement and avoid going too wide with his hands, which exposes his torso to power and can draw penalties. Additionally, his feet can be a bit lumbering, and he sometimes tracks back on his heels in pass protection, impacting his stability in contact. When diverting upfield on zone runs, he occasionally overshoots blocking angles.
While not quite a liability, Schmitz's average length can sometimes affect his leverage against longer defenders, allowing them to tug him beyond his center of gravity. To compensate, he may occasionally reach too far and lurch forward on blocks. While Schmitz has an exceptional initial burst, his lack of elite athleticism shows in his average range as a moving blocker and lack of great change-of-direction ability in space. Additionally, he sometimes veers past defenders while trying to redirect. Schmitz also falls short in terms of elite power capacity, as his length and limited rotational freedom can prevent him from fully displacing opponents when generating upper-body torque. While impressively flexible overall, slight torso stiffness can limit his ability to cycle all the way through rotations.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Sometimes, there's a sense of apprehension that creeps up when considering college football veterans who have used up all their eligibility. Many of them lack the physical prowess required to enter the NFL early and consequently, their potential is limited once they decide to declare. This does not apply to John Michael Schmitz. This seasoned offensive lineman possesses an impressive football IQ, agile footwork, and a ferocious physicality that one would expect from a seasoned pro. However, what sets Schmitz apart is his explosive and fluid movements even in the tightest of spaces, and his functional strength, which is nothing short of elite. Though he may not be the most exceptional athlete out there, Schmitz's mobility is more than sufficient to execute various techniques as a puller and in congested areas. Admittedly, his not-so-impressive athleticism somewhat reduces his potential. Additionally, his advanced age may cut his prime years short. Nevertheless, NFL centers can play well into their 30s, and Schmitz's game tape suggests that he could be a versatile starter in any scheme from the get-go. With Schmitz's raw power and strength, he can quickly create wide-open gaps between the A-gaps. Furthermore, his flexibility and mobility make him more than capable of executing a variety of zone blocks. Whoever ends up with Schmitz will undoubtedly have an exceptional pro on their hands; he has the physical and tactical acumen to anchor an NFL offensive line for over a decade, and his aggressive style sets the tone for any team he's on.
Grade/Position Rank: Late First-Early Second, IOL2 (OC1)
Comparison: Blastoise from “Pokémon”