The truth of the matter is that John Michael Schmitz is not a very good NFL center at this point, and offensive linemen rarely make the leap from incompetent to competent in Year 4.
NFL.com’s Matt Okada singled Schmitz and his struggles out as the “Biggest Remaining Issue” for the Giants headed into 2026, with his team declining to make a move in the draft or free agency to replace him this offseason.
“The area of concern for me is center, where John Michael Schmitz remains the projected starter,” Okada wrote. “Schmitz surrendered five sacks and 23 QB pressures last year, per Next Gen Stats, and was also subpar in the run game. Unless he makes a surprise fourth-year jump, he might be a liability in Harbaugh’s new offense.”
Schmitz Full-Time Starter Since Rookie Season
Schmitz has been the Giants‘ full-time starter since his rookie season in 2023, although injuries have continued to be an issue.
Through his 1st 3 seasons, Schmitz has not only been 1 of the NFL’s worst centers but also missed multiple games each season due to injuries — a total of 11 games, including 4 games in 2025.
Pro Football Focus graded Schmitz out as 1 of the NFL’s worst at his position in 2025. His 60.8 overall grade put him 29th out of 40 eligible players at his position.
For the third time in his three-year NFL career, Schmitz failed to play all 17 games, playing just 13 in 2025,” Sports Illustrated’s Brandon Olsen wrote on July 7. “Schmitz allowed 14 pressures last season — 16th among true, every-down centers, though several players with worse raw numbers split time at guard or tackle and aren’t included in that group. That’s not to take away from Schmitz, as that number is by far the best he’s produced in his NFL career. He was also flagged four times throughout the year, tying his career low from his rookie year. Both on paper and film, Schmitz is coming off his best pro season. The issue is that he is still performing as an average center rather than the caliber of player typically expected of a second-round pick.”
Schmitz will be in the final season of his 4-year, $6.37 million rookie contract in 2026.
Giants Used Early-Round Pick on Schmitz
The Giants’ failure with Schmitz is a little more pronounced because they used a 2nd-round pick (No. 57 overall) on him in the 2023 NFL Draft after he was a 2-time All-Big Ten selection and All-American at the University of Minnesota.
“Schmitz is a highly consistent zone-scheme center with decent size,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “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.”
Embattled Starter Called ‘Biggest Remaining Issue’ for Giants