John Michael Schmitz C Minnesota: Scouting Report

Height: 6’3

Weight: 306

Overall

John Michael Schmitz is an experienced center in Minnesota’s balanced offense. In his 6 collegiate seasons, he played in 57 games, starting 32 of them. He has a ton of playing time throughout his college career and with his size and technique he is a pro ready player with a very high floor.

Pass Game

Michael Schmitz has a fast snap and is quick in getting his eyes on his man and getting in his pass set. He showed a lot of struggles against power rushes early in his game against Illinois this past season before settling in. He has a good anchor but needs to improve his balance to avoid getting pushed aside by bigger, powerful defensive linemen. He has excellent vision allowing him to pick up stunts and blitzes. He has good athleticism and does a good job of staying square when moving laterally to pick up blocks. He is very good in helping with double teams on the interior and shows the power to knock tackles off their stance when helping the guards. 

Run Game

In the run game, Michael Schmitz is excellent on zone runs. He has the athleticism to move laterally while keeping his balance and has the power to drive defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage. On gap runs he needs to be more consistent in reaching defensive linemen and getting his hips around to open up running lanes but shows the length and athleticism to do so. He continues to show his vision in getting to the 2nd level of the defense to create more running space. He is very consistent in his run blocking and has the strength and block temperament to move defenders and be a consistent lead blocker.

Last Word

Michael Schmitz projects best as a center in a zone-heavy run scheme. He has very good size and athleticism to move laterally and get up field to make key blocks. As a pass blocker he is very consistent but shows some struggles against powerful nose tackles. While he played primarily at center in college, he has the physical attributes to play guard as well. He is an experienced player and he has the size and technique to be a consistent starter in the NFL for a very long time.

One-Liner: John Michael Schmitz is a strong, experienced center who has the skillset to be an immediate starter in the NFL and can excel in a zone run scheme.

Grade: 6.7 (Solid Starter with 2 Position Flexibility)

Games Watched: 2022 - Illinois, MIchigan State

Team Fits: Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos