ESPN Mock Draft: Round 2, Pick 1: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota

First Center taken the past five years:

2018 Frank Ragnow (20)
2019 Garrett Bradbury (19)
2020 Cesar Ruiz (24)
2021 Landon Dickerson (37)
2022 Tyler Linderbaum (25)

Vikings draft 23rd.
Jason Kelce - 6th round #191.

Taking an interior OL in the first round is absurd. Sorry
 

Looking back at past drafts can be painful.

2018 we took Mike Hughes. Lamar Jackson and Shaquille Leanord went soon after.

2019 we took Garrett Bradbury. Jeffrey Simmons, Montez Sweat and Deebo Samuel went soon after.

Darrisaw and obviously JJ were good picks. Verdict is out on the trading way down for Cine. A lot of good players went 12 and after last year.
O'Neil is considered a very solid RT in the league. Indeed, they signed him to a new contract.

I think Cleveland has worked out pretty well too.
 

Trade back and get JMS; pick up an upper-half-of-the-league Guard in free agency. Done. Offensive line is fixed.
Center is the only position that a move can reasonably be made, since Bradbury is a free agent.

You're going to give up on and dump your 2nd round pick at Guard, because he wasn't an All-Pro as a rookie? That's not how it works.

Cleveland has been fine. Tackles are locked.

Cine and Booth both come back from IR.
I don't feel like Booth really did jack this season. Evans came in and was really impressive. Obviously you let them battle at camp and see who wins out, but probably both will play.
 


Jason Kelce - 6th round #191.

Taking an interior OL in the first round is absurd. Sorry
I get that argument, and it appears that most NFL teams agree. Number of first round interior lineman drafted the last five years:

2022 - 3
2021 - 1
2020 - 1
2019 - 2 (Bradbury)
2018 - 3 (2 really good ones, Quenton Nelson and Frank Ragnow)

On a side note, here's a list of the last 9 Vikings mid/late round interior lineman:

Verdarian Lowe
Wyatt Davis
Kyle Hinton
Colby Gossett
Pat Elflein
Danny Isadoria
David Yankey
Jaff Baca
Travis Bond
 


I get that argument, and it appears that most NFL teams agree. Number of first round interior lineman drafted the last five years:

2022 - 3
2021 - 1
2020 - 1
2019 - 2 (Bradbury)
2018 - 3 (2 really good ones, Quenton Nelson and Frank Ragnow)

On a side note, here's a list of the last 9 Vikings mid/late round interior lineman:

Verdarian Lowe
Wyatt Davis
Kyle Hinton
Colby Gossett
Pat Elflein
Danny Isadoria
David Yankey
Jaff Baca
Travis Bond
Davis and Elflein were both Big Ten OL of the year at Ohio State, if I recall correctly??

Seems like they should be "can't miss" as mid round picks, but clearly not.
 

Davis and Elflein were both Big Ten OL of the year at Ohio State, if I recall correctly??

Seems like they should be "can't miss" as mid round picks, but clearly not.
There aren't any "can't miss" picks, especially a couple of third round draft picks. Elflein was really good for a year or two and then fell off a cliff.

Personally, I wouldn't pass on a player at a position of need based on an arbitrary "rule" if I felt really strongly about his prospects. But nobody is paying me to make such decisions.
 

There aren't any "can't miss" picks, especially a couple of third round draft picks. Elflein was really good for a year or two and then fell off a cliff.

Personally, I wouldn't pass on a player at a position of need based on an arbitrary "rule" if I felt really strongly about his prospects. But nobody is paying me to make such decisions.
Well, in my worthless opinion, we need defense more than we need a new center.

I'm fine riding with Schlottmann, quite frankly, as long as he can come back from his injury 100%.
 

Also, you listed Verdarian Lowe as a mid/late round pick for Interior OL, but he played Tackle at Illinois and as far as I know is listed as Tackle for the Vikings.

Maybe he could do a move like Cleveland and really well?
 



Center is the only position that a move can reasonably be made, since Bradbury is a free agent.

You're going to give up on and dump your 2nd round pick at Guard, because he wasn't an All-Pro as a rookie? That's not how it works.

Cleveland has been fine. Tackles are locked.


I don't feel like Booth really did jack this season. Evans came in and was really impressive. Obviously you let them battle at camp and see who wins out, but probably both will play.
Booth only played two games (really 1.5, because he was injured half-way through his second game) - which is probably part of your point! But he had 9 solo tackles against Dallas. 9. As a true rookie. I'll take that!

The point is: those two allow the LB's to play a step or two closer to the LOS, which would be critical in adding strength to the D. Last year, the D didn't stop an offense. Their goal was to stay on the field long enough to let an offense stop itself. With a speedy backfield (which it will be with those two back), the D can play to affirmatively stop an opposing offense.
 

Ideally the Vikings would trade back and take him. But even at #23 I like it. But they probably won't, and a smart drafting team like Pittsburgh/Baltimore/KC will snap him up.
JMS is a lock to be a solid center. Last i checked vikes don't have one. Cousins has been getting killed from interior lineman. This pick helps. Makes too much sense
 

JMS is a lock to be a solid center.
Just like Pat Elflein!

Big Ten OL of the year and Rimington winner at Ohio State. Can't go wrong.

JMS, as good as he is and as much as we love him for it, didn't win either of those. Rimington actually went to Michigan's center this year. Big Ten OLOY went to Northwestern's Tackle who is a first round lock.

Cousins has been getting killed from interior lineman.
Do you have the numbers about the number of pressures/hurries/sacks/whatever that each interior OL allowed this season?

Honest question, I'd love to see those numbers.

My wild guess is that a considerable portion of them came from Ingram. But as I said, no one dumps a rookie 2nd round pick after the first year. He's not going anywhere. That's not on the table.


Keeping in mind of course that if Kirk managed to throw the ball away as he took a hit, that just took away what should have been a sack. On the flip side, Kirk being a statue adds sacks to our guys when other, more mobile QB's could've gotten away.
 

Just like Pat Elflein!

Big Ten OL of the year and Rimington winner at Ohio State. Can't go wrong.

JMS, as good as he is and as much as we love him for it, didn't win either of those. Rimington actually went to Michigan's center this year. Big Ten OLOY went to Northwestern's Tackle who is a first round lock.


Do you have the numbers about the number of pressures/hurries/sacks/whatever that each interior OL allowed this season?

Honest question, I'd love to see those numbers.

My wild guess is that a considerable portion of them came from Ingram. But as I said, no one dumps a rookie 2nd round pick after the first year. He's not going anywhere. That's not on the table.


Keeping in mind of course that if Kirk managed to throw the ball away as he took a hit, that just took away what should have been a sack. On the flip side, Kirk being a statue adds sacks to our guys when other, more mobile QB's could've gotten away.
Do you not have Google?
 





11 Gophers drafted in last 3 years and at least 1 player taken in Rd 1 or 2. How many get drafted this year? JMS, Smith, Howden, Ibrahim, Morgan?, Rush? Good thing is that Gophers that have gotten drafted have generally stuck on their NFL rosters.
I would bet 3 get drafted. Maybe 4
 

Mainly agree. I've posted pretty much the exact same comments - probably more than a year ago.

Surprisingly, though, Mo struck me as considerable MORE explosive this year. After returning from an injury. Don't know how that happened. Didn't really think that was possible. But he picked up a step of speed/acceleration.

For the Vikes, Mo is what they need. Cook is not the right guy to pick up one yard. He can break a long one, which is spectacular when it occurs (Buffalo!), but an answer is needed relating to "how do we reliably keep the chains moving?"

They have the passing threat to keep the linebackers and defensive backs off the lines of scrimmage. Solve the IOL issue; and put Mo in the backfield. He'll move the ball - eventually 6+ yards at a time, until the LBs and secondary move up to support. Then Jefferson/Osborn/Hockenson will take yards 20+ at a crack.
Mo was great here. He's also small, slow, and cannot catch... I have no idea if he can pass block though. He also is not a special teams player. Those qualities do not usually end up in a NFL backfield.
 

Mo was great here. He's also small, slow, and cannot catch... I have no idea if he can pass block though. He also is not a special teams player. Those qualities do not usually end up in a NFL backfield.
He is a great blocker and by all accounts can actually catch despite not being asked to do so here. He’s not really small by RB standards either… he is slow though.
 




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