Tag: John Michael Schmitz

The Draft Network sends Gophers center to the Vikings in latest mock draft

Drafting a center in the first round won’t be the sexiest pick in the world

There are a lot of questions surrounding the Minnesota Vikings this offseason and how they’ll approach free agency and the NFL Draft. With Garrett Bradbury potentially leaving as an impending free agent, it leaves the Vikings with a hole on their offensive line.

On Monday, Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network released his latest mock draft, in which he helped the Vikings out by having them select Minnesota Gophers center, John Michael Schmitz.

“John Michael Schmitz was one of the biggest risers after the Senior Bowl and the Vikings desperately need a versatile interior offensive lineman to upgrade that position. The Vikings need to add an element of toughness to their offense to be able to impose their will running the football. Schmitz should help them do both things.”

While not a splashy pick, this would definitely fill a need for the Vikings and give them stability at the center position for the next decade or more. Schmitz has incredible strength and is a technician with his hands and footwork. He should thrive wherever he is picked. It’s also noteworthy that Schmitz’s agent is former Vikings offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPBxuICCVMg]

Pro Football Network has the Vikings going a new route in latest Mock Draft

For the first time this cycle, the Vikings were mocked the local Minnesota offensive lineman

The Minnesota Vikings have 25 impending free agents this offseason that they’ll need to make a decision on. One of which is center Garrett Bradbury. While there is no official word on Bradbury’s future with the team, his potential departure would leave a significant void at the center position.

Joe Broback of Pro Football Network suggests in a recent mock draft that the Vikings could address their need at center by selecting local talent John Michael Schmitz from the University of Minnesota.

“Even if Garrett Bradbury is the guy at center, this pick still makes sense. The Vikings need help on the interior offensive line, and John Michael Schmitz gives them versatility that they desperately need.

Schmitz played both guard and center with the Gophers, and he’s one of the biggest risers after the Senior Bowl. His tenacity in the trenches sets him apart, and that is something Minnesota needs offensively to elevate the unit.”

Drafting a center in the first round might not be many fans’ dream scenario, but let me tell you, Schmitz is the real deal. This guy’s got power like you wouldn’t believe, and even when he’s not quite on his A-game in protection, he’s got the grit and determination to bounce back. Schmitz could slide right into the starting role from day one, and the Vikings could finally have the stability they’ve been craving at center for years to come.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=595424714]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpAR6qSk2Gk]

Vikings 2023 7 Round Mock Draft: Matt Anderson’s 2.0

In his latest Mock Draft for the Minnesota Vikings, @MattAnderson_8 has the Vikings taking a trade-back approach

When it comes to the NFL offseason, it can often be more fun than the regular season as there is so much speculation and rumors floating around. The other great part of the offseason is the mock drafts and seeing which players your favorite team might end up with.

In my last mock draft, I had the Vikings taking the best player available with all of their picks. Today, I am going to take a page out of former general manager Rick Speilman’s book and trade back using Rich Hill’s trade chart to see if we can’t get more players or draft capital. Let’s take a look to see how it played out.

2023 NFL draft: 3-round Giants Wire mock v.1

Giants Wire releases its first three-round mock draft of the year and the New York Giants make out well thanks to several projected trades.

The 2023 NFL draft will be here in no time and it’s never too early to start the mock draft exercises.

I’ve been covering the NFL draft for 25 years and have fared just as well in mock drafts as the self-proclaimed experts.

Over the years, the New York Giants have perplexed me. George Young was unpredictable, drafting Hall of Famers and colossal busts at an equal rate. Ernie Accorsi had more overall success than any Giants GM and Jerry Reese drafted some of the franchise’s best players but his drafts lacked depth.

Then there was Dave Gettleman, an analog mind in a digital world. His first-rounders have largely panned out but, like Reese, had very few Day 2 and 3 hits.

Joe Schoen’s record is still incomplete, but he’s off to a decent start in my book.

Here’s how he can build on last year’s class in the first three rounds this year.

5 standouts from the 2023 Senior Bowl

The Colts should have their eyes on these 2023 Senior Bowl standouts.

This week, the 74th edition of the Reese’s Senior Bowl took place in Mobile, Alabama, where Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has previously found several gems.

The Senior Bowl is a big deal to the Colts and since Ballard took over as general manager in 2017, they have used 19 draft picks on prospects who participated in the offseason all-star game.

Here are five standouts from the week’s event who could be on the Colts’ radar:

John Michael Schmitz turning into strong day two candidate for Jets

Thoughts on the Minnesota center?

A lot of the talk about the needs on the offensive line for the Jets has been focused on the offensive tackle position, understandably so.

The Jets, however, also have questions at the center position. Connor McGovern is a free agent and there’s no guarantee he will return to the team in 2023. If he doesn’t, that leaves a huge void in the middle of the offensive line. McGovern was a top-ten-graded center at Pro Football Focus.

Fortunately for the Jets, there’s a name in the draft that would soften the blow of potentially losing McGovern if that becomes reality. Say hello to John Michael Schmitz of Minnesota.

Schmitz is coming off a fantastic week down in Mobile, Alabama at the Senior Bowl, dominating opponents throughout practice and perhaps elevating his stock more than any other player at the Senior Bowl. Should McGovern leave, a player the caliber of Schmitz could slide right in at center from day one for the Jets and not look back.

He’s won’t be an option at No. 13 for the Jets, but he’s quickly becoming a strong option for them at No. 44 in the second round, especially since he may not be available for them at No. 75 in the third round.

A double-dip on the offensive line, with a tackle at 13 and a center at 44, is becoming more realistic by the day for the Jets as they look to beef up their offensive line in an offseason where they could be making a huge splash at the quarterback position and make a run in 2023 season.

Senior Bowl: Tyler’s top 10 performers this week

After a grueling week of practice, @TheRealForno breaks down his top-10 performers from the Senior Bowl

The 2023 Senior Bowl has finished up the practice portion of the week and it was a great one.

Practice usually stands out in multiple ways, especially considering the unique nature of practice. It’s a lot of individual drills that help players standout by focusing on the things that each position prioritizes.

During practice, there were a lot of players that stood out, but 10 stood out more than the rest. Here are my top 10 players from practice this week.

John Michael Schmitz, a potential Rams draft target, is shining at the Senior Bowl

John Michael Schmitz, arguably the best center in the draft, is standing out at the Senior Bowl

Brian Allen is still under contract for another two seasons with the Rams, but that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be on the team in 2023. If the Rams move on from him, they could use their top pick on a center – and the top one in the class should be available at No. 36.

John Michael Schmitz out of Minnesota is viewed as the best center in the draft and he’s cementing his status as such at the Senior Bowl this week. According to those in attendance in Mobile, Ala., Schmitz has had a fantastic showing in practice. Not just that, but Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network wrote Schmitz’s character is “off the charts,” which has led to him doing “really well” in interviews with teams. Jeremiah added that he’s “not sure he had a bad rep in practice” all week.

Matt Miller of ESPN also praised Schmitz’s performance in Mobile, writing that he’s “had a wonderful first two days of practice and has been the most impressive offensive lineman.” And for fans who wish the Rams would’ve taken Creed Humphrey over Tutu Atwell in 2021, Schmitz could make up for it.

“His ability in space will give scouts a Creed Humphrey-like vibe, and he also routinely handled seal blocks and head-up defenders in the session,” Miller wrote.

The clips of Schmitz going through practice reps at the Senior Bowl are impressive. He’s got a powerful anchor and doesn’t let interior rushers walk him back.

It’s also fun to see him get out in space and clear a path for his running back on a screen.

Watch him finish this block, driving his man all the way to the ground.

Schmitz should still be available when the Rams go on the clock at No. 36 overall and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take him. They can make Allen a post-June 1 cut and save $4.4 million, which would allow them to add help at other positions of need.

Schmitz is certainly a prospect to watch for the Rams as the draft approaches.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqby8n025panb709 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Stock Up Stock Down from final Senior Bowl American practice

The final practice of Senior Bowl week had some great wide receiver/cornerback matchups. @MattAnderson_8 breaks it all down

The Senior Bowl practices have wrapped up here in Mobile, Alabama, and for the American Team, it’s been a fun week of practice. Many players have improved their draft stock and confirmed many experts’ prior assumptions about them.

Let’s take a look and see who hurt and helped their draft stock following the final day of practice.

National Team Practice

Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz impresses on day 1 of the Senior Bowl

The Commanders should consider drafting a center sometime in the first two days of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Senior Bowl kicked off this week in Mobile, Alabama, with representatives from all 32 NFL teams on the ground. A lot happens in Mobile, from coaches looking for their next gig, free-agent rumors and plenty of draft talk.

For the Washington Commanders, there will be plenty of eyes on the offensive line this week. You could make the case that Washington could upgrade every position on the offensive line next season. Left tackle Charles Leno Jr. is solid, but the other four positions should be up for grabs.

The Commanders have a good center in Chase Roullier, but Roullier has suffered leg injuries each of the last two seasons. Can Washington count on Roullier in 2023? It’s not just Roullier; Washington has gone through four starters at the position in both years. There are also financial implications. Roullier has a $12.4 cap figure in 2023.

One player who impressed on day one of practice Tuesday was Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz. The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder stood out in a big way on Tuesday.

The following snap was even more impressive and something that could help take Washington’s running game to another level.

NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL.com offered his thoughts on Schmitz’s first day:

Schmitz came into the week with a chance to challenge for the title of top center in the draft. He might leave Mobile with that title and put himself squarely in the conversation for Round 1. He impressed me the most of all the prospects I was able to see on Tuesday. Schmitz showed off plenty of core strength and leverage to battle against stronger players. He might be more than just a zone-scheme center — the ability to play in multiple schemes would elevate his draft stock.

Picking at No. 16 overall, one of the top tackles may not fall to Washington. While No. 16 may seem a tad high for Schmitz at the moment, you take the player you like. Or, perhaps Washington could move back later in the round and select Schmitz. It worked for the Commanders in landing Jahan Dotson last season.

Washington needs plenty of offensive line help, and a young center is a good place to start.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]