New York Giants rookie John Michael Schmitz was recently named an under-the-radar player who could shape the 2023 season by CBS Sports.
Surprise! Another second-round center with key responsibilities immediately. Schmitz and Daniel Jones will have to mesh quickly after the Giants lost both of their main center options — Jon Feliciano and Nick Gates — in free agency.
Many had the second-round center as a top interior offensive lineman and the No. 1 overall center in the 2023 NFL draft class. The Minnesota product was a steal for Big Blue late in the second. He was an anchor for an amazing Gophers offensive line that helped lead one of the best rushing offenses in college football in 2022.
It feels like a broken record at this point, but the Giants enter every offseason with the offensive line as one of the biggest needs on the team. Now in 2023, the offensive line not only has the potential to improve but also be one of the better units on this team.
With the emergence of Andrew Thomas last season, New York has one of the best left tackles in football. If Evan Neal sees a similar leap this season, Daniel Jones will no longer have to worry as much about rushers off the edge.
Now, if Schmitz plays like the Day 1 center he is expected to be, the Giants will have a solid young core to protect their $160 million quarterback. With simply average guard play and a proper RPO scheme (similar to the one Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka ran last year), this offensive line has the ability to cause some problems for defenses in 2023.
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Story originally appeared on Giants Wire