Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz has some positive traits that show on tape. He’s fairly strong, shows good hand placement, and has a lot of experience he’s gathered over the last few years. Despite all of that, Schmitz looks like he has some slight issues to his game, and it might be on the mental side. Unless an NFL team thinks that he can become a starter quickly, Schmitz will be looked at as a valuable depth player because of his age and it will push him a good bit down draft boards.

I think Schmitz is pretty much a finished product as a prospect. I don’t see much more upside. His hands are solid, his footwork is good, and it’s all just some minor polishing that he needs. He’s going to be a solid pro. 

Love how Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz (#60) slingshots himself on this zone run. Executes a feed block to help his guard pick up the LB, then pings off to pick up the safety. Opens the lane for Mohamed Ibrahim almost all by himself. Also, nice pic.twitter.com/tXAWyp8fF2…

— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) February 20, 2023

Injured his foot at the end of 2021. Other than that, he’s been remarkably available.

John Michael Schmitz’s scouting report

Athletic Ability (35)

Athleticism: 20 

• Speed (4/7) – Good quickness, long speed looks to be lacking. We’ll get a better idea at the Combine but I don’t see a lot of speed on tape. 
• Lateral Quickness (5/7) – Good lateral quickness, not great. 
• Snap Set (4.5/6) – Snap set is lightning quick. Sometimes, it can take him a moment to refocus and look for his assignment. But getting the snap back and getting into action is very quick. Snap speed looks good. 

Strength/Power: 15 

• Upper Body Strength (4/5) – Upper body strength looks good. Handles himself well against power. 
• Lower Body Strength (3.5/5) – Lacks some lower body strength he could use to drive better. Anchors very well. 
• Brute Power (3/5) – Not particularly a brute but has some tendencies to finish blocks in a powerful way. Not really going to dominate consistently with his strength. 

Lineman Technique (55)

Anchor/Plant: 15 

• Anchor (5.5/7) – Anchor is above average. Shows good bend and can absorb some power. Can even fight through high hands to maintain his strength. Shows solid bend. 
• Plant Recovery (6.5/8) – Flashes some solid recovery. 

Hand Usage: 10 

• Hand Placement (4/5) – Has solid hand placement. Does a great job locking in defenders with relative ease. Locks on the shoulders very well and is consistent. Struggled at times with maintaining leverage but it wasn’t often. 
• Hand Strength (4/5) – Very good, heavy, strong hands. 

Pass Block: 15 

• Strength (6/7) – Strong pass blocker. Holds up very well as a pass blocker, handled some very strong interior defenders well in the Big Ten. 
• Technique (7/8) – Allowed just two sacks his entire collegiate career, both coming in 2022. Does a good job setting and syncing his upper and lower body to get through the rep effectively. 

Run Block: 15

• Strength (7/8) – Decent run blocking strength, can get downhill decently well. Will struggle to clear a lane against bigger interior defenders. 
• Technique (5/7) – Technique could be better. Doesn’t consistently work to the second level or acknowledge the existence of the second level.

Persona (10)

Football IQ: 5 

• Understanding of Assignments (3.5/5) – Just needs to react better when he’s left alone. Looks lost and is slow to react. Doesn’t read the second level well, is much too concerned with the defensive line. Leaves gaps open for linebackers to shoot through. Does a great job reading the blitz, waiting for the defensive play to develop before settling into an assignment. 

Overall: (82) – 1st/2nd Round