The Giants have spent the offseason trying to tighten up a roster that still has a few obvious soft spots, but the most important one may be hiding in plain sight on the offensive line.
Joe Schoen has done enough to give New York a more complete look, yet the defense still carries concerns. The interior line took a hit after Dexter Lawrence II’s departure, and the cornerback room remains a problem that won’t go away quietly. Even so, the biggest question mark might be the man snapping the ball to start the offense.
Matt Okada of NFL.com pointed to center John Michael Schmitz Jr. as the player the Giants should be watching closest.
Okada said, "Schmitz surrendered five sacks and 23 QB pressures last year, per Next Gen Stats, and was also subpar in the run game. Unless he makes a surprise fourth-year jump, he might be a liability in Harbaugh’s new offense."
Schmitz has been a mixed bag since arriving in the league. He’s had stretches that were hard to watch, but he’s also given New York enough steady play to keep the job. Last season, he allowed pressures on less than 2% of his pass-blocking snaps, according to PFF, and he has started at center ever since the Giants drafted him.
His better work has come in the run game. Schmitz helped the Giants finish with the league’s fifth-best rushing attack in 2025, but the fit could change quickly if the blocking system changes with it.
That’s where the concern comes in. Schmitz has been more comfortable in zone run schemes than in gap concepts, and more than 60% of his run-blocking snaps last season came in zone looks. Harbaugh’s staff is expected to lean more on gap schemes, which ask linemen to play with more force and less sideways movement.
That’s not an ideal setup for Schmitz, whose issues go back to his college days when he struggled to block on the move while pulling. If that weakness shows up again, this offense could put him in tough spots.
There is some help coming around him. Rookie Francis Mauigoa is expected to take over at right guard, and the two could end up making each other better in 2026. Their work together on combo blocks will matter in the Giants’ rushing attack.
Schmitz is also heading into the final year of his rookie deal, which puts real money and real pressure on the season ahead. A strong year could push him into a new contract in the $10 million annual range. If he doesn’t adjust, the Giants could be ready to move on next offseason.
Even with that uncertainty, New York is in a better place than most teams if this is the roster’s biggest remaining issue.
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