Tag: John Michael Schmitz

Giants’ John Michael Schmitz reveals his ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment

New York Giants center John Michael Schmitz discusses his “welcome to the NFL” moment and his appreciation for Carter Coughlin.

New York Giants center John Michael Schmitz had an up-and-down rookie season in 2023 and appears to be ready to take the next step to become one of the NFL’s top centers.

Schmitz started 13 games for Big Blue as a rookie and showed signs of his draft pedigree (he was taken 57th overall in Round 2 last year) and was named to Bucky Brooks’ 2023 All-Rookie Team.

In a recent interview with KSTP-TV in Minneapolis, where Schmitz played his college ball for the Gophers of Minnesota, he reflected on his “welcome to the NFL” moment from last year.

“I would say going against one of the best nose tackles in the NFL every single day at practice,” he said. “Dexter Lawrence — he’ll definitely make you a lot better real quick. He’s a great player (and) great person off the field as well. He just pushes you to be a better player.”

Schmitz isn’t the only Gopher on the Giants’ roster. Carter Coughlin, a reserve linebacker and special teams ace who was recently re-signed, has helped Schmitz along with his acclimation to the New York and the NFL.

“It’s great. I mean, we definitely just chit-chat about everything,” Schmitz said. “You go through your thought times and, obviously, me and him being pretty close with the Gophers. . . it’s nice to have someone like that, that I already have a bond with. Just someone to kind of lean on and ask those questions, like, ‘Hey, can you help me out here?’ Like, ‘What do I do?’ It’s nice to have a Gopher on the team.”

Meanwhile, Schmitz is already working hard this offseason and plans to arrive at organized team activities (OTAs) in regular season shape.

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Giants’ interior offensive line was worse in 2023 than you realize

The New York Giants’ interior offensive line surrendered more sacks than the entire offensive line of 20 other NFL teams in 2023.

The New York Giants’ offensive line has been one of the league’s worst over the past decade and one of the main reasons they have sunk to the bottom of the NFL standings.

Many thought the team had taken care of the line by using major resources in the draft and in free agency in recent years but to little avail.

If anything, the line has gotten worse.

Last season, the Giants allowed 85 sacks, the second most in NFL history behind the 1986 Philadelphia Eagles (104) and 20 more than any other team allowed.

More specifically, their interior offensive line surrendered more sacks than the entire five-man unit of 20 NFL teams.

The Giants have an All-Pro left tackle in Andrew Thomas, but he missed seven games in the first half of the season due to a hamstring issue. Right tackle Evan Neal, another top-10 draft pick, was also hampered by injuries and has been largely inconsistent.

The Giants drafted a top center last year in John Michael Schmitz, but he injured his shoulder on a poorly executed version of the ‘tush push’ causing him to miss four games.

The Giants’ guards were also in flux. Ben Bredeson got the most playing time and injuries to others led them to pull veteran Justin Pugh “off the couch.”

The results showed as the Giants were clearly dominated in the offensive trenches last season. This year, they believe they’ve cauterized the wounds by signing veterans Jon Runyon Jr., and Jermaine Eluemunor to fill the guard roles.

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Giants don’t fare well in 2023 NFL draft re-grade

In a 2023 NFL draft re-grade courtesy of The Athletic, the New York Giants did not fare particularly well but hope remains.

The jury is still out on the 2023 NFL draft class but Diante Lee of The Athletic recently decided to grade the class after just one season.

The New York Giants had seven picks in the draft leading off with Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks at No. 24 overall. He started 15 games and was solid most of the season. He is now considered a No. 1 outside corner, so they appear to have made a good choice in him.

Banks was not likely the Giants’ first choice on their board, however. They were said to be in the market for a wide receiver and it just so happens that four studs were chosen right before they were on the clock in Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Quentin Johnson, May Flowers, and Jordan Addison.

The rest of the draft is still very much a mystery as injuries and underuse left much to be desired.

New York Giants: C-minus

Deonte Banks (No. 24) was a fun watch coming out of college and as a rookie showed the speed, physicality and competitive edge that made him a late riser in the draft process. Jalin Hyatt (No. 73) flashed some downfield ball-tracking skills, but he didn’t separate enough last season to be considered a long-term piece of this offense.

This year, the Giants hope to see some growth in center John Michael Schmitz, cornerback Tre Hawkins III, safety Gervarrius Owens, and defensive lineman Jordon Riley.

Eric Gray is expected to help fill the void left by Saquon Barkley and Hyatt still has to earn the trust of the coaches and quarterbacks.

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Giants’ offensive building blocks ranked among NFL’s worst

Bleacher Report ranks the New York Giants’ offensive building blocks among the NFL’s worst and offers this take: “Meh.”

The New York Giants’ roster has improved from where it was two years ago when general manager Joe Schoen took over.

In his first offseason as GM, the Giants were in salary cap hell and extremely limited in the moves they could make. Things cleared up a bit last year but there still wasn’t a massive spending spree.

Although some positions have seen a boost, the Giants remain needy — especially on the offensive side of the ball.

That’s something Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recognized this week as he ranked every team’s offensive building blocks. The Giants checked in near the bottom under the “jury’s very much out” category.

22. New York Giants: The Giants are loaded with young offensive players who have failed to show significant signs of becoming major contributors. The list? It starts with practically the entire offensive line beyond 25-year-old Andrew Thomas (namely John Michael Schmitz and Evan Neal, who are 24 and 24, respectively), and spans into the pass-catching corps with Wan’Dale Robinson (23), Jalin Hyatt (22) and Daniel Bellinger (23). Meh.

Certainly, elite tackle Andrew Thomas gives the Giants one of the league’s top building blocks. After that, it is seemingly a bunch of unproven young players.

Wan’Dale Robinson showed flashes this past season. However, he needs to continue trending in the right direction and, most importantly, stay on the field.

As for John Michael Schmitz and Evan Neal, the Giants hope they can be long-term solutions on the offensive line. However, Neal is looking like a bust and Schmitz was a mixed bag during his rookie season.

Schoen has plenty of work to do to improve the roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Given the status of the offense, it would be no surprise if they spent their first few picks in the draft on offensive players and focused heavily on the O-line in free agency.

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CBS Sports ranks Giants’ 2023 rookie class in bottom half of NFL

The New York Giants’ 2023 NFL draft class was ranked in the bottom half of the league by CBS Sports, but they were credited with two hits.

The New York Giants made seven picks in the 2023 NFL draft and most felt confident that general manager Joe Schoen had made the right calls.

In need of talent at multiple positions, the Giants fared well with their limited stock, adding cornerback Deonte Banks, center John Michael Schmitz, and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt with their first three selections.

They rounded things out with running back Eric Gray, cornerback Tre Hawkins III, defensive lineman Jordon Riley, and safety Gervarrius Owens.

All seven of those players saw time on the field this past season but the results weren’t quite what the Giants had hoped. Injuries derailed the development of several rookies while others were stunted due to misuse (see: Gray as a punt returner).

Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports recently ranked all 32 draft classes from 2023 and the Giants landed in the bottom half of the league. However, he did credit them with two hits: Banks and Hyatt.

Hyatt didn’t exactly rekindle all of the magic he had at Tennessee winning down the field on a regular basis. But averaging over 16 yards per snag as a rookie demonstrated there’s a bright future for him if the development as a route runner continues. Sixth-round pick Tre Hawkins was respectable as a rotational cornerback. Second-round pick John Michael Schmitz really struggled with power before his injury. Banks had some hiccups in coverage but mostly dealt with No. 1 receivers in man coverage and snagged two picks while knocking away 11 passes.

Banks has the makings of a solid, long-term CB1 and although he struggled at times, Schmitz still has plenty of upside. Hyatt also performed better than his stats would indicate. He suffered due to poor offensive line and quarterback play.

The Giants remain hopeful that Hawkins can develop into a starter and that Riley eventually becomes a dominant interior defender.

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Giants’ John Michael Schmitz named to NFL All-Rookie Team

New York Giants center John Michael Schmitz has been named to NFL Network’s 2023 All-Rookie Team.

New York Giants center John Michael Schmitz had an up-and-down rookie campaign. There were moments he flashed and other moments he seemed entirely overwhelmed.

Toss in an injury that caused him to miss some time and Schmitz probably isn’t writing home about his first NFL season.

Still, at the center position, there weren’t many rookies who fared better. And for that reason, Bucky Brooks has named Schmitz to his 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team.

The scrappy pivot performed well as a first-year starter in the middle of the Giants’ line. Schmitz’s intelligence, athleticism and competitiveness showed up repeatedly as he held his own against the monstrous nose tackles opposite him.

Despite the praise from Brooks, Schmitz finished last among 37 qualifying centers with an overall Pro Football Focus grade of just 41.4. His pass blocking grade of 26.9 was also dead last among qualifying centers.

There were times throughout the season that Schmitz also appeared to lean heavily on guard Justin Pugh, who routinely tipped the snap.

Schmitz has a high ceiling and could be an anchor for the Giants in the future, but he’ll need to significantly improve in Year 2 if he wants to hang onto that job long-term.

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Grading every rookie from Giants’ 2023 draft class

How did the New York Giants’ draft class fare in 2023? Giants Wire hands out grades for all seven rookies.

Now that the 2023 NFL regular season is in the books, it’s time to review how the New York Giants draft class performed.

The Giants had seven selections in last spring’s NFL draft, four on defense and three on offense.

Here’s how they fared in their debut seasons.

Giants’ 9 biggest disappointments of 2023

The New York Giants regressed significantly in 2023 and these nine players were among the most disappointing.

The 2023 season was a major downer for the New York Giants. There were a few surprises and glimmers of hope on the defensive side of the ball, but it wasn’t enough to extend the season.

The front office issues plagued the team and resulted in more upheaval with the “parting of ways” with Wink Martindale.

In the wake of the blinders being ripped off around the whole Wink/Brian Daboll fiasco, let’s take a look at nine players (in no particular order) who disappointed the most in 2023.

Giants’ Jason Pinnock out vs. Eagles in Week 18

The New York Giants will be without safety Jason Pinnock on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, while two others are questionable.

The New York Giants closed out their practice slate on Friday afternoon, wrapping up their third session (one being a walkthrough) in three days and their last of the season.

Beforehand, head coach Brian Daboll delivered the bad news that safety Jason Pinnock would miss Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles as the result of a toe injury.

“He won’t make the game,” Daboll revealed.

The news wasn’t as bad for several other players on the injury report, but Daboll did acknowledge that rookie cornerback Deonte Banks and rookie center John Michael Schmitz may end up as game-time decisions.

“Two guys that’ll be practicing today, Banks and John Michael,” Daboll said. “We’ll see where they’re at after practice.”

Meanwhile, safety Dane Belton returned to practice after missing Thursday’s session due to a non-injury-related personal issue.

Full injury reports for both the Giants and Eagles can be found below.

Giants injury report: Jason Pinnock continues to miss practice

New York Giants safety Jason Pinnock missed his second day of practice on Thursday and seems unlikely to play in Week 18 against Philly.

The New York Giants returned to the field on Thursday for their first full practice of the week after conducting a walkthrough on Wednesday.

For the second consecutive day, safety Jason Pinnock was sidelined due to injury and appears unlikely to play on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. If he doesn’t, he’ll be spelled by Dane Belton, who registered three takeaways in Week 17.

Belton also missed practice on Thursday, but his absence was unrelated to injury.

Meanwhile, rookie center John Michael Schmitz returned to practice on a limited basis and could play in the team’s season finale.

The Giants’ full Thursday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: S Jason Pinnock (toe), S Dane Belton (not injury-related/personal)

Limited participant: OL John Michael Schmitz (lower leg), CB Detone Banks (shoulder), LB Carter Coughlin (shoulder), CB Darnay Holmes (foot), QB Tyrod Taylor (back)

Full participant: N/A

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