Giants drafting John Michael Schmitz was a great answer to the Eagles' picks
By Doug Rush
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The New York Giants needed to beef up their offensive line. This was an absolute must. After watching the Philadelphia Eagles shore up their pass-rush and defensive line, the Giants had no choice.
So, with their first pick on the second night of the 2023 NFL Draft and with the 57th overall selection, the Giants did just that by landing John Michael Schmitz.
Adding protection 💪
— New York Giants (@Giants) April 29, 2023
📰: https://t.co/hc280RP2fv pic.twitter.com/xvp3CbFtPK
The 24-year-old Schmitz will now come in to solidify a position that desperately needed to be solidified at center, especially with the departure of both Nick Gates and Jon Feliciano in free agency last month. That went without saying.
Joe Schoen filled a major need by drafting John Michael Schmitz
The Giants could have gone with either Ben Bredeson or JC Hassenauer, who they signed in free agency recently from the Pittsburgh Steelers. But then again, the Eagles made a massive splash 24 hours ago in the first round when they first took Jalen Carter and then snagged up Nolan Smith
Don’t forget, the Eagles pass-rush already was a force in 2022 with 70 sacks, so them adding Carter and Smith to that group is a bit of the “rich getting richer.” Considering the Giants were ranked by Pro Football Focus at No. 30 for their offensive line work in the 2022 season and had a massive need to fill right in the middle, this pick for the Giants made too much sense.
Given that the center position has been a bit of a rotating wheel for the Giants over the last few seasons, this was a must-grab for general manager Joe Schoen to land Schmitz in the second round on Friday night.
In his second draft running the Giants and bringing them back from a terrible stretch, Schoen continues to address needs. In this case, he prioritized a spot that the Giants desperately needed to if they have any hopes of competing with their division rivals.
READ MORE: Giants fans should be happy Joe Schoen traded up for Deonte Banks