Go with the 33-year-old backup center with 113 career games under his belt, including 65 starts, or the 25-year-old backup with two career games and zero starts? Decisions, decisions.
After a surprisingly heated and sneaky intriguing summer roster battle, the New York Giants decided to keep Bryan Hudson as John Michael Schmitz’s backup instead of Lucas Patrick, whom the team had signed earlier in the offseason.
While it might feel like a relatively inconsequential decision, going with Hudson over Patrick quietly gave JMS his biggest vote of confidence yet from new head coach John Harbaugh. After struggling mightily through the first three seasons of his career (and missing multiple games in all of them), rolling with an unproven backup like Hudson suggests the G-Men aren’t exactly expecting to need much help behind him.
And whether that was the right move or not is officially TBD.
Giants made their feelings about John Michael Schmitz pretty clear
Hudson went undrafted out of Louisville back in 2024, with the Detroit Lions taking a flyer on the 6-foot-5, 305-pound center and signing him in May. He ultimately didn’t survive 53-man roster cuts, and after clearing waivers, the New England Patriots brought him onto their practice squad.
He’d stay with the Pats until November before getting released. It took Hudson a little while to find his next opportunity, but he eventually landed with the Giants, signing a futures contract for the 2025 season. From there, he bounced between the P-Squad and active roster, appearing in just two games and seeing very limited action.
In his battle with Patrick this offseason, the former Cardinal posted a pretty above-average 68.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, including a 63.6 mark in pass protection and a 68.1 run-blocking grade. Meanwhile, Patrick -- the nine-year vet -- finished the preseason with an impressive 80.8 overall grade, earning a 69.7 in pass protection and an 81.6 as a run blocker.
So what gives?
Hudson is younger than Patrick by about eight years and doesn’t carry the same injury history, either. And when Michael Schmitz has missed nine games over his first three seasons -- at least two in every season -- durability likely played a factor. Because what good is having a backup who isn’t healthy enough to step up when the starter goes down?
Even still, it’s a pretty big gamble. Hudson is very much unproven and was clearly outclassed by Patrick this offseason, at least from an advanced stats perspective.
And ultimately, this probably says more about Michael Schmitz than it does Hudson or Patrick.
JMS is entering the final year of his rookie contract after three seasons that haven’t exactly gone according to plan. He hasn’t developed into the player New York thought it was getting when it took him in the second round of the 2023 Draft.
Harbaugh and his new staff have now had an entire offseason to work with him, and choosing Hudson over a veteran with 65 career starts sure makes it seem like they’re expecting something different from their starting center in Year 4.
Maybe this is finally the year John Michael Schmitz puts it all together. The Giants certainly built their 53-man roster like they’re counting on it.
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