The second round is here and the NY Giants have been able to land another stud to help the team out after taking Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks on Friday night at No. 24 overall. Joe Schoen was clearly focused on offense to get things going on Friday night.
Moments ago, the Giants were on the clock at No. 57 overall, and Schoen has decided to go with standout center John Michael Schmnitz out of Minnesota. This is yet another fantastic move from Schoen and it's one that the Big Blue faithful are fired up about.
The Giants are taking Minnesota C John Michael Schmitz.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 29, 2023
The NY Giants have selected John Michael Schmitz in the second round of the NFL Draft
We absolutely love this move. As soon as it was announced that Jonathan Mingo was headed to the Carolina Panthers, it only felt right for the G-Men to focus on the interior offensive line. There were some guard options on the table, but a starting center had to be a priority for Schoen and Co. before the weekend came to a close.
Luckily, JMS was still on the board and the Big Blue front office made the right call here. With both Nick Gates and Jon Feliciano leaving in free agency, signing with the Commanders and 49ers, respectively, the need for a new center was there.
The Giants signed former Steelers hoss JC Hassenauer earlier this offseason, but he was a depth move. With Schmitz, he'll now head to camp as the favorite to win the starting job in snapping the ball to Daniel Jones and opening up holes for Saquon Barkley.
The newest NY lineman was a beast for Minnesota this past season, as the 6-3, 305-pounder was a First Team All-Big-Ten Selection and a First Team All-American. Similar to Banks, this decision from Schoen receives an NFL Draft grade of A- from us. Schoen nailed it.
READ MORE: Wink Martindale had the best reaction to NY drafting Deonte Banks