What Round Should Gophers’ John Michael Schmitz Go?

University of Minnesota’s center John Michael Schmitz does a lot of good things on game film.

Granted, I liked him a lot more on his 2021 game film, “John Michael Schmitz Moves Into The First Round.”

This past season, John Michael Schmitz looked more human.

I am to the point in this evaluation game that prospects must show dominant, dynamic trait(s) and I must feel excited watching them play in order to give a final first-round grade.

Seven areas to look for with centers

For all intents and purposes, centers are a rare breed, and they need to do it all. They’re required to pass and run block, snap, and help out whenever possible.

When it comes to centers, there are seven crucial things to look at.

-does he play like he loves the game?

-snap (velocity, accuracy and placement)

-anchor (ability to withstand authoritative bull rushes)

-picking up stunts and blitzes (how smart do they look on film)

-speed getting to the second-level (where the linebackers reside)

-athleticism (how to do move around in space and downfield)

-sustain (ability to control blocks until the whistle blows)

How did John Michael Schmitz grade out in these seven areas?

On his 2022 game film, he plays like he loves the game, and his snaps were good. Minnesota operated out of the shotgun formation, and this center got the ball where it needed to be.

How was he anchoring down against strong bull rushing attempts?

Above average.

This Golden Gopher was a little inconsistent in this category as a couple blitzes shot through his gap in this block of game film. Stunts, he looked alert and picked those up.

If you’ve read this far, that means you are really into centers and that’s a good sign, because the position of center is the second most important position on the line outside of left tackle (if your team has a right-handed quarterback). Centers set make all the offensive line calls and the protections. They are also the first person on the offense to touch the football on every play.

It’s the last four points where John Michael Schmitz ran into issues on his 2022 game film.

This center is a mauler who lettered in high school as a wrestler, and this is how he plays football.

He struggled against Michigan State always getting to the second-level in time with average playing speed, and he was inconsistent on the last two points overall.

So, what round should he go in?

I’ve got to see flat-out dominance to earn a final grade, and I’m disappointed to say I didn’t see that in these three games.

If there is a lack of dominance at the college level, what will that look like at an even higher level of competition in the NFL?

There’s much I like about John Michael Schmitz, and he adds a lot to a team, but it has to be in the right round based on what he showed.

#60 John Michael Schmitz 6-foot-4, 320 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2023 NFL Draft Grade: Fourth-Round (I would select him)

First Round Mock Big Board: TBD

Bust Probability: Low

Projected by 11.0% (up from 9.8% on December 11) of the NFL Draft community to be a first-round pick as of February 9, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2022 game film reviewed: Michigan State, Purdue, and Illinois (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2021: saw action in 13 games and played a total of 837 snaps for the Golden Gophers. He allowed a solid 5 QB hurries, no QB hits, and no sacks (nfldraftbuzz.com)

2022: saw action in 12 games and played a total of 767 snaps. He allowed a solid 5 QB hurries, one QB hit, and 2 sacks

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Durable scrappy and aggressive technician who relies on leverage to get the job done. Unselfishly helps out using hands well in a lot of combo blocks with guards. Holds up well enough in one on ones (Purdue). Did lose on a swim (Illinois) and gave the impression he could get overwhelmed or overpowered if left in too many one-on-one situations in pass pro. Lacks brute power. Pancakes with positioning while run blocking. Always gives it his all. Inconsistent sustain at first and second levels. Average playing time. Ends up on the ground too much. Overall, solid prospect.

Final words

Solid addition to an NFL team.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.