It was another unimpressive season for 2023 second-round draft pick John Michael Schmitz, who -- after three years -- looks more like a lost cause than the 57th overall pick.
Unfortunately, the 26-year-old New York Giant has yet to take the leap many thought he would coming out of Minnesota, where he was widely considered the best center prospect of the draft. While advanced analytics won’t tell the whole story, it is alarming that JMS hasn’t been ranked among the top 28 in his position in any of his three professional seasons:
- 2025: 60.5 overall grade (29th of 40)
- 2024: 61.4 overall grade (30th of 43)
- 2023: 41.4 overall grade (37th of 37)
That's not the best... not even close. Advanced analytics or not, the Giants can't keep throwing him out there and hoping it'll click -- doing the same thing over again and expecting different results is the literal definition of insanity.
Fortunately, there already seems to be an answer for his struggles on Big Blue’s roster. Or, at least, there was. In Bradley Locker’s latest piece for PFF, he wrote that backup center Austin Schlottmann was New York’s highest-graded pending free agent of 2025:
"The team faces questions at multiple positions, with center being one — and Schlottmann proved solid as depth last season. Playing eight games up the middle, the 30-year-old recorded a 70.8 overall PFF grade with a 77.0 PFF pass-blocking mark, permitting just three pressures across 212 pass-blocking snaps."
And he could be re-signed at a very affordable cost.
Austin Schlottmann gives Giants an easy John Michael Schmitz out this offseason
Schlottmann started in four games this past season for the Giants when the former Golden Gopher went down with a season-ending lower leg injury, suffered in Week 13. The 30-year-old filled in admirably for Michael Schmitz -- enough to earn a 70.8 PFF grade, ranking 10th among centers.
Over the Cap values the 2018 undrafted lineman out of TCU at $3.75 million.
You know, it’s funny that his valuation sits at such a reasonable price point because, according to OTC, the G-Men could potentially save $3.85 million if they were to cut JMS before June 1. That makes re-signing Schlottmann feel less like a luxury and more like a practicality. Essentially, the Giants would save ~$100 thousand if they cut JMS and re-signed Schlotty.
Hmm...
And now with John Harbaugh in as the new head coach, expect decisions like this to be a lot more business-oriented than feelings-related. If Harbs feels like the team should go in a different direction, don’t expect a roundtable meeting.
The overlooked 6-foot-6 lineman has been with Big Blue the past two years and could be back for more, especially if the right people are calling the shots.