John Michael Schmitz Jr.

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Giants have significantly overpaid for an unproven commodity, turning what should have been a modest center investment into a head-scratching $10M AAV commitment that earns an F CVI grade. Schmitz enters this deal as an unproven player at the NFL level, making this salary figure — which puts him in upper-tier starting center territory — completely divorced from his actual track record and production value. While centers typically develop more gradually than other positions, paying elite money ($10M AAV) for a player who hasn't established himself as even a reliable starter represents poor resource allocation in a salary cap era. The contract structure offers some protection with only $3.4M guaranteed out of the $30M total, but the annual commitment still handcuffs the Giants' ability to address other roster needs or pivot if Schmitz fails to develop into a franchise-caliber player. This deal reflects the kind of speculative spending that derails team-building efforts — the Giants are essentially betting premium dollars on potential rather than proven performance, a strategy that rarely pays dividends for organizations trying to build sustainable success.

Performance Analysis

John Michael Schmitz Jr. earns an F grade that puts the Giants' second-round center in a difficult spot. New York's offensive line has been a persistent problem, and Schmitz was supposed to be part of the solution when they drafted him out of Minnesota. The adjustment to NFL-level defensive tackles and stunts has been rougher than anticipated, and his play hasn't lifted the unit the way the Giants needed. There's still time for development — centers often take a few years to fully arrive — but the early returns have been concerning. New York needs Schmitz to become a stabilizing force up front, and fast.