The New York Giants’ offensive line figures to be better this season than it has in recent years after making key moves in the offseason to upgrade the unit. That isn’t exactly a high bar to hurdle, however, considering the Giants have had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL over the last decade. They surrendered a historic and league-high 85 sacks last season — a number they cannot afford to come relatively close to in 2024-25.
Their free agency acquisitions will help, but the Giants’ offensive line will go as far as its homegrown talent takes it this season. In particular, second-year center John Michael Schmitz needs to turn in a solid season and bounce back from what was a disastrous rookie campaign.
The Giants need more from John Michael Schmitz in 2024-25
Schmitz was among the worst offensive linemen in the NFL last season. He started 13 games for the G-Men, missing four games due to an injury, but turned in a relatively awful performance on the year. Schmitz earned a 41.4 overall Pro Football Focus grade last season, which ranked dead-last among all players in the NFL at his position. His particularly low 26.9 PFF pass-blocking grade best highlighted his struggles as a rookie.
In 2023, Schmitz surrendered 30 total pressures and five sacks and committed four penalties across 755 total snaps. The Giants’ offense can’t afford to have Schmitz play this poorly again in his second season as a starter.
Schmitz was labeled a “pro-ready” prospect during the pre-draft process last offseason. As a rookie, he looked anything but pro-ready, continuously getting dominated by opposing defensive tackles. He was, however, dealing with a shoulder injury that severely impacted Schmitz’s ability to play at a high level.
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Staying healthy will be key for Schmitz and the rest of Big Blue’s offensive line. Schmitz missed a lot of practice time in the summer due to a shoulder injury and seemingly tweaked his ankle during the preseason. Getting healthy, staying healthy, and playing at a high level will be necessary for Schmitz in year two.
The Giants’ offensive line dealt with constant injuries at nearly all five positions throughout last season. Having continuity, especially at the center position, which does a lot pre-snap to dictate pass-protection calls, will be crucial.
