John Michael Schmitz

Pos: C

School: Minnesota

Ht. 6’3”

Wt. 301

Games Watched: Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue

One Liner: Smart, experienced center who wins with immense football IQ and technique.

Strengths: 

  • Elite football IQ. Schmitz picks up stunts, makes calls at the line, and displays a sound understanding of blocking assignments on a play by play basis.
  • Very good footwork. Schmitz has a wide base and uses his feet in a technical manner that allows him to contest and fill defenders gaps
  • Very good angles. Because of Schmitz’s refined knowledge of blocking concepts, he takes great angles in gap schemes and works well on the double team in zones
  • Good strength. Schmitz brings a good amount of power and aggressiveness that starts with his wide and strong anchor allowing him to pack a punch against IDL’s and LBs

Weaknesses:

  • Adequate Athleticism. Schmitz is not a nimble mover, and lacks some lateral agility. I sense some stiffness in his movements and he doesn’t really get to the second level as often you would like from a 300 pound center. 
  • Adequate balance. At the second level, I don’t particularly trust Schmitz to maintain his positioning at the point of attack. He seems to overextend, oftentimes at the first level too. 

Overall Assessment: John Michael Schmitz is a plug and play center at the next level. His technique, football IQ, frame and aggressiveness make him an immediate starter moving forward. Schmitz is a limited player, who doesn’t display the best athletic abilities and is somewhat stiff in his movements resulting in a lack of body control when trying to block in an off balanced manner. His lack of length shows up on tape sometimes, but this can be reduced through playing him in the right scheme. Schmitz has all the tools to be a long term starter in the NFL. 

Scheme Fit: Inside Zone/Gap Scheme reducing lateral movements and enforcing read and react + power blocks.

Pick Projection: Late 1st – Early 2nd

Grade: 6.46