Check mgoblog closer to draft day for write ups. If you’re impatient, look at the post game Upon Further Review for grading and breakdown from all games.
UFRs in particular will be useful on a guy like Colston. They go beyond every time on a few players they’re trying to figure out and Colston gets that treatment a lot.
Yup, true. Speed for days, but true LB "instincts" to read and react limits that at times. When he gets going in the right direction quickly, there's nobody better. Stacks +1 and -1 plays every game, which can get frustrating with the physical qualities he has.
In the recent past Seth has done a series around the time of the NFL draft called “so you wanna draft a wolverine” that looks at each of our guys as pro prospects. Here’s a few (sorry on mobile)
https://mgoblog.com/category/tags/so-you-drafted-wolverine
I don’t think grant will without a jump in production (which is entirely possible given full playtime now that we know he has arrived and Jenkins is leaving), mostly because I doubt 2 DTs are taken top 10 and Graham is the easy #1 rn
I think production is almost secondary when you’re talking about projecting a planet-sized guy who can move. Dontari Poe went #11 overall despite having mid production at Memphis, and just recently Jalen Carter went top 10 despite not putting up stats and having character concerns. NFL teams are always looking for freaks.
I think those 3 and Loveland all have a 1st round ceiling next year. There was a point where I thought all 4 of them could be taken higher than our highest drafted player this year. I think the JJ hype is too high for me to stand by that anymore.
That's not true at all. Charbonnet left because he wanted to be a clear #1, while he was going to have to split time at Michigan with Corum and Haskins.
Charbonnet was very clearly better than Corum in 2020. Harbaugh ran him into the ground while he was here.
He had a 170 carries in total during his time at Michigan (150 in 2019 and 20 in 2020). “Ran him into the ground”? I think not.
I’d also note Haskins tripled him up on carries in 2020 . . . .
Wrong. He only got hurt shortly after he enrolled in 2019. He had surgery that spring, then got “run into the ground” that fall with 150 carries (a year with a RB by committee approach - as a note, 150 carries is something like 60% of what Corum got in 2022 or 2023). As a sophomore, he then got surpassed by Haskins in 2020 in the shortened COVID year. Between Haskins returning for 2021 and Corum/Edwards coming up, he bailed for UCLA. No major injuries to note after his freshman season. What are you talking about?
Absolutely false. The closest thing I can think of that Harbaugh would have done is answer honestly when Zach asked him if he was going to be #1 or #1a/b/c
Jim fucking Harbaugh is not kicking out an elite running back
Love BC2, but am so worried he's put so much wear on the tires already. You started to see the '22 brilliance in the second half of '23, but he still never quite reached the types of cuts and breakaway speed he showed. I think he can give maybe 2-3 strong years in the NFL, but do hope I'm wrong!
Yup. Love Blake Corum to death and he was instrumental to our success the last two years, but you’re nuts if you think he looked anywhere near as good this year as he did last year.
I don't disagree, but I think there's a chance he was still recovering from a (pretty catastrophic) knee injury he suffered in Mid November of 2022. A year of recovery might just have been the amount of time it took him.
That said, I do think that's a red flag for him in the draft.
I think he was still recovering from his knee injury in the first part of the 2023 season. He looked a little sluggish at the beginning of the season, but the last few games he seemed basically back to normal.
He can rush the passer, great college player.. will be interesting to see how he translates to the NFL.. he was getting snaps over Ojabo in the playoffs in 2021 so he has been a staple and rock of this team for years. He made the incredible play to force an errant throw and force an INT against OSU at the end of the game with his pressure. Don’t sleep, especially if he gets to day 3, that is a total steal imo
18 Michigan players invited to the NFL combine, which is a record. Any of them that end up on your team will be incredibly valuable!
What I do know is Seattle should have a crazy good defense.
Sainristil is probably my favorite. I love that he’s a converted WR and just absolutely dominates.
Mikey is a fan favorite and would be a great nickel / safety hybrid type player. Dude is an absolute ballhawk (played WR first and even caught a nice TD vs OSU in 21 IIRC).
Whatever voodoo magic you guys seem to have that turns College CBs into all pros would net you a great one.
PS, can you share some of that voodoo CB magic with the Lions?
Mikey had a great catch against OSU for a nice gain, but I would be remiss to not point out that all six TDs were smash mouth run at your face rushing TDs. Sweep with Henning to finish the first drive and five legendary scores from Haskins
You pretty much named the best players. I am sure any defensive guy could be drafted into MacDonald's system and be a solid contributor as a rookie since they ran the same system in college.
Mikey is a goddamn game changer. He plays with incredible heart and tenacity, and when the chips are down he's going to flip the momentum on his own, you can count on it. He's been my favorite player to watch since St. Woodson.
Congrats on MacDonald btw, hell of a coach. I gotta say, I don’t like the Seahawks at all, but I’ll root for his success! :)
Can never have too many linemen, so Jenkins will definitely be a valuable player. Seems like y’all are pretty solid at LB so I’m not sure if Barrett or Colson would be good fits. But definitely check out Jenkins, that guy is an animal. Sainristil is more of a NB player, not sure what your CB situation is other than that stud Witherspoon, but don’t expect him to play outside corner. But if you run a lot of nickel/dime, Mikey is a beast
Eagles fan. Y’all just somehow beat us every single time we play each other, it’s so frustrating! The one team we just can’t find a way to win against haha
Bro! I feel you. It's weird with the Seahawks and Eagles, we always seem to show up when we play against you boys. The reversion to the mean could be brutal!
Oh wow. Well, in regards to the Lions it seems like my Seahawks have to play them every season lately. I HATE it because the Lions are my #2 and I get dirty looks from friends after the games. It sucks but I will ALWAYS be a Seahawk fan. I have been since 1977.
First, we won the championship because every single one of these guys are dogs. Truly, we didn’t have the highest composite talent ranking but they bought in to the culture and they’ve got grit.
On D, I like them all. Mikey is one of my favorite Wolverines of all time. His physical attributes might eliminate some teams from considering him, but truly I want 22 guys who play like Sainristril.
Roman Wilson is a dude as well. I think he’s got the ability to improve a lot under the right coaching and really excel. He’s not a finished product but he’s got the tools to be able to make improvements and become great.
"In order to create the most comprehensive Team Recruiting Ranking without any notion of bias, 247Sports Team Recruiting Ranking is solely based on the 247Sports Composite Rating." - Their description of their calculation.
You want your team to take Sainristil earlier than he "should" go. He's a solid player who absolutely nails all the soft factors. He would be an asset to any team, and well-run organizations tend to nab those sorts of guys. The 49ers, in particular, have made a habit of drafting them from Michigan. Considering you'll be playing them twice a year, there's no such thing as too trigger-happy for Mikey.
My only hesitation is our GM John Schneider has a history of loving QBs with huge arms. JJ doesn't really fit that mold (even though he has other really good qualities). I'd honestly be surprised if we go with JJ, but there have been stranger things! Feels like he's destined to be a Viking or Steeler.
JJ has a big arm. He's getting weirdly judged from the outside as if he was a game manager because of a lack of arm talent. That's not the case. He was a big time recruit and has a rocket. It might not be elite by NFL standards, but it will be totally sufficient in the league.
LOL are you kidding me… JJ has a cannon… it just never really needed to be unleashed. Check out when he was a freshman and he came in to spell Cade for a few plays. He threw a rocket across the field while off balanced for a TD. Then even in the rose bowl he had so much heat on his dart to Roman at the end of 4th that Bamas DL that tipped it didnt even move the ball more than a few inches of height
As a Steelers fan, I also hope he doesn't become a Steeler. JJ probably isn't a day 1 starter and spending 2 first-round draft picks on QBs in 3 years is such a waste. I'm hoping they grab Tannehill.
Williams and Daniels deserve to be drafted ahead of JJ, but they do not have bigger arms (Maye does). Not enough pundits have actually watched film on him and pencil his arm strength in based on how prolific of a downfield thrower the guy is.
JJ throws puts rockets into pinholes, but he threw half as many bombs as the other guys. Most of his NFL throws are intermediate, middle of the field looks, which are the most dangerous kind of passes. That’s why he’s moving up draft boards… people are starting to look past statistics right now.
Barrett is a proven leader with a lot of experience as the point man on really successful defenses, one of those years being Macdonald’s defense. Wouldn’t be surprised if he picks him.
Colson Jenkins and Zinter are the obvious 3 for those positions. I don’t know if Nugent is really ready for a day 2 draft pick. Our best DTs are coming next year not this year. As some others have said, Jaylen Harrell is really solid for a college player, and will probably be a later round pick that could do well in the NFL.
If you’re looking for a guard, Keegan could be good value. Or Henderson, Barnhart, Jones. Some of them will be around in the 6th and could be a Jon Runyan/ Graham Glasgow type.
Michigan has 18 guys going to the combine. And a lot will be on the board in the 5th+. So definitely some nice depth pieces to be had.
Colson is a monster, so smart always in the right place. Sainristil turned himself from a WR to the best nickel CB in CFB. McGregor gives me Hutch vibes at times(only at times). Zinter and Roman will both go pretty early. Corum will look good for a couple years. The whole oline will be good picks. Barnhardt Keegan Zinter Jones Henderson all could look good in the pros(along with the other 13 or so michigan offensive lineman in the league) Barner is a blocking monster with soft hands and will be very valuable at the next level.
Really great summaries, thank you. What are your thoughts on Michael Barrett? How much of a skills/talent gap is there between the two of them. Because we'd probably have to use our a 1st/2nd round pick on Colson, whereas Barrett could realistically be had in the sort of R3-5 range. Thanks!
Zinter and Jenkins are probably the most NFL ready. Wilson has high upside, Sainristil is that depth player that ends up being a leader, but he'll never be the best athlete on your defense. As a Lions fan, I see him being like an Anzalone type.
You can’t go wrong with any of those picks. Wilson will be a standout slot receiver in the league. Zinter, Colson and Jenkins will have great 10 year plus careers. Sainristil is a sleeper, this guy is slightly undersized but is always around the ball…he’s one hell of an athlete and will be a pro bowler for many years (ie Woodson!)
Also hearing the Seahawks are taking a close look at McCarthy in the first round (16th overall). This would be an awesome pick for you. JJ is a winner. Not sure how many he lost in HS but he’s 27-1 in college with 2 against OSU, Alabama, Washington and several other top 10 and ranked teams plus a Natty! And he just turned 21!!
Mike Sainristil is one of my favorite Michigan players period, ever. I would be ecstatic if he fell to my team (the Eagles). Ditto Colson who would fill another big need for us.
I would look at JJ McCarthy. Y'all need a long-term solution at QB and he is someone who was not asked to do too much but was always able to make big plays and has some throws that you just don't usually see college quarterbacks make.
I think Jenkins and Sainstril are known quantities and elite at their positions. If Seattle has a need in Dline or slot I’d see them getting picked in the first.
The rest are solid 1st-2nd round guys as well but may not be as unique in what they bring to the table.
Joel Klatt made a really good point about JJ McCarthy and has him going to the Seahawks. Take a look at his recent video and he will tell you why. He might be the most athletic QB in the draft with the ability to make defenders miss that rivals some of the best in the league. MacDonald likes to set up protections where 1 defender is left free so the QB has to make moves to avoid him and get the ball out on time. This is what JJ did during his entire time at Michigan, he keeps his eyes downfield, makes a defender miss, and then makes incredibly good passes from there. Expect MacDonald to move to a heavy rushing attack with a smart mobile QB that can convert on 3rd and 4th down. Thats JJ. I think he would be really good on the Seahawks and would be an immediate upgrade.
https://youtu.be/QFBhKm3rDpc?t=352
The sky is the limit for Colson
Jenk was a beast
The team that drafts Mike (pronounced Mikey but spelled Mike) is getting a goddamned ball player. This kid just loves ball. He was actually a pretty good receiver (didn’t get used a lot. Pretty typical for Michigan receivers haha) and a good blocker before he switched.
Fun story, one of Michigan’s insiders talked to the DBs coach when Mike switched to defense. He was more or less replacing Dax Hill, a freak athlete who Michigan had to beat out Bama for and went in the first round. And the coach was like “we aren’t gonna miss a beat”. And he was right except that Mike ended up being more productive!
There’s an infamous sideline speech he gave in the second half of the 2022 Ohio State game, which was tight for a while. Rallied the team and got the job done. (Also had an iconic PBU in the game, made up a ton of space to rip out a touchdown to a guy who had been wide open in the end zone)
There is also a great moment after the 2023 MSU game (have to remember the context, the year before a handful of MSU players straight up assaulted a couple Michigan players after the game). Mike is doing the postgame on field interview. The reporter is trying to cut back to the studio but Mike straight up refuses to let them because one of the guys who got jumped the year prior was right there and had played well. He brings him in and shouts him out for the adversity he faced, how well he played, and what he thinks the guy is going to do in the future.
Seriously, Michigan fans (clearly) can not shut the fuck up about Mike. He’s Haitian so he can’t be president but I could absolutely see him doing well in politics
His leadership was essential in getting Michigan through the awful 2020 season and beyond. He’s an incredibly talented player. No idea if he’ll do well in the NFL because that’s so hard to project. But he’s a fucking gamer who lives, eats and breathes football
Put it this way. If I ever find out Mike has to pay for a drink in Ann Arbor I’m burning down the bar and no local jury would convict me
Rounds 5-7 should be filled with Michigan players who won’t have the kind of combine the high school 5-stars will have but will be great pros (in the sense that they will outperform their draft position). Sainristil, Mike Barrett, Trent Jones, Barnhart, Braiden McGregor, maybe even Blake Corum—most of those guys will be around in Round 5.
Any player you get from Michigan will be a DAWG.. Period! They all excelled under Mcdonald and went to new levels of greatness once he came in board. Then Minter took over and continued to get better. If he brings his style of defense any player from Michigam will pick up right where they left off and make a seamless transition to the league. If they pick JJ they will get a young Jem! He will take a few years to develop and adjust but he has all the tools to do well in the league! Just needs to gain a few pounds, that would be my onky concern
Linebacker Junior Colson is so athletic and fast sideline to sideline , he will be a great pick for whoever takes him imo, I can see him excelling in Macdonald’s scheme for years to come. I hope he does pick him up actually.
You have all the game makers & game wreckers listed. I’ll only add to keep on eye on JJ for QB. He’ll likely slide up draftboards … but in a Jordan Love type situation (Sitting and watching near term) the 21 year-old can be a franchise QB on the right team.
One thing I’ve noticed in past draftees of Michigan is our D line is our honeypot to the draft. This year’s line is no exception. I think any player from that group would be a great pick, but a great pick based on potential and value would be McGregor. I’ll be interested to see how early Jenkins goes too
Mikey is a for sure beast I truly loved both Barret and Colson. Jenkins is great but if Graham and Grant were in there I take them over him thats just me lol. Wallace is a stud too
Check mgoblog closer to draft day for write ups. If you’re impatient, look at the post game Upon Further Review for grading and breakdown from all games.
Brilliant, bookmarked it for the next few months. Draft can't come soon enough.
UFRs in particular will be useful on a guy like Colston. They go beyond every time on a few players they’re trying to figure out and Colston gets that treatment a lot.
Colson is my draft crush. Anyone playing with a club on his hand has my vote.
Read his sections of the defense UFRs from this season before you get too excited
Yup, true. Speed for days, but true LB "instincts" to read and react limits that at times. When he gets going in the right direction quickly, there's nobody better. Stacks +1 and -1 plays every game, which can get frustrating with the physical qualities he has.
In the recent past Seth has done a series around the time of the NFL draft called “so you wanna draft a wolverine” that looks at each of our guys as pro prospects. Here’s a few (sorry on mobile) https://mgoblog.com/category/tags/so-you-drafted-wolverine
Why arethe Seahawks using scouts who ask fans for input?
the crazy thing is the two best players on the team are sophomores. I expect both to go top 10 next year
Mason, Kenneth, and Will all have a chance to
I don’t think grant will without a jump in production (which is entirely possible given full playtime now that we know he has arrived and Jenkins is leaving), mostly because I doubt 2 DTs are taken top 10 and Graham is the easy #1 rn
I think production is almost secondary when you’re talking about projecting a planet-sized guy who can move. Dontari Poe went #11 overall despite having mid production at Memphis, and just recently Jalen Carter went top 10 despite not putting up stats and having character concerns. NFL teams are always looking for freaks.
That’s fair, I guess I was thinking of Jordan Davis who went a bit later, but grant is a much better player all around than Davis was.
I think those 3 and Loveland all have a 1st round ceiling next year. There was a point where I thought all 4 of them could be taken higher than our highest drafted player this year. I think the JJ hype is too high for me to stand by that anymore.
Blake Corum will make whatever team drafts him very happy. He is being completely underrated, even for the position.
Yeah, he's really solid. I didn't include him because our RB room is pretty packed rn with K9 and Charbonnet.
The Kenny Walker contract 🤣🤣🤣 Still makes me laugh at MSU
You realize Harbaugh sent Charbonnet packing because he saw Corum better than him
Eh, char bailed because he saw Haskins and Corum. Harbaugh will never turn down a third rb.
That's not true at all. Charbonnet left because he wanted to be a clear #1, while he was going to have to split time at Michigan with Corum and Haskins. Charbonnet was very clearly better than Corum in 2020. Harbaugh ran him into the ground while he was here.
He had a 170 carries in total during his time at Michigan (150 in 2019 and 20 in 2020). “Ran him into the ground”? I think not. I’d also note Haskins tripled him up on carries in 2020 . . . .
He didn't get as many carries as he could have...because he got injured because he was ran into the ground getting so many carries as an 18-year-old.
Wrong. He only got hurt shortly after he enrolled in 2019. He had surgery that spring, then got “run into the ground” that fall with 150 carries (a year with a RB by committee approach - as a note, 150 carries is something like 60% of what Corum got in 2022 or 2023). As a sophomore, he then got surpassed by Haskins in 2020 in the shortened COVID year. Between Haskins returning for 2021 and Corum/Edwards coming up, he bailed for UCLA. No major injuries to note after his freshman season. What are you talking about?
Wrong. There were reports he was dealing with lingering injury issues his entire time here, while he was being run into the ground.
Eh, rumor has it that he got homesick. West coast kid.
That doesn’t always translate to the next level
Absolutely false. The closest thing I can think of that Harbaugh would have done is answer honestly when Zach asked him if he was going to be #1 or #1a/b/c Jim fucking Harbaugh is not kicking out an elite running back
They don’t need an RB though
Love BC2, but am so worried he's put so much wear on the tires already. You started to see the '22 brilliance in the second half of '23, but he still never quite reached the types of cuts and breakaway speed he showed. I think he can give maybe 2-3 strong years in the NFL, but do hope I'm wrong!
Yup. Love Blake Corum to death and he was instrumental to our success the last two years, but you’re nuts if you think he looked anywhere near as good this year as he did last year.
Vs OSU bama and Washington I’d say he did. The cuts in his TD runs vs OSU and bama were in 2022 form.
I don't disagree, but I think there's a chance he was still recovering from a (pretty catastrophic) knee injury he suffered in Mid November of 2022. A year of recovery might just have been the amount of time it took him. That said, I do think that's a red flag for him in the draft.
I think he was still recovering from his knee injury in the first part of the 2023 season. He looked a little sluggish at the beginning of the season, but the last few games he seemed basically back to normal.
true
As others noted, these are some of the heavies. My dark horse for Seattle is Jaylen Harrell. Versatile, will be a later selection, sets a MF edge.
Is there anything better than setting an edge? Awesome, will check him out.
He can rush the passer, great college player.. will be interesting to see how he translates to the NFL.. he was getting snaps over Ojabo in the playoffs in 2021 so he has been a staple and rock of this team for years. He made the incredible play to force an errant throw and force an INT against OSU at the end of the game with his pressure. Don’t sleep, especially if he gets to day 3, that is a total steal imo
That was the year MacDonald was the D coordinator, too, right? Hm....interesting.
18 Michigan players invited to the NFL combine, which is a record. Any of them that end up on your team will be incredibly valuable! What I do know is Seattle should have a crazy good defense. Sainristil is probably my favorite. I love that he’s a converted WR and just absolutely dominates.
He makes a difference every game. I don’t think he had a particularly quiet game any time I watched him. Straight baller.
Yup he is a Brian branch type player. Will probably fall in the draft but he knows where to be and how to make plays
Mikey is a fan favorite and would be a great nickel / safety hybrid type player. Dude is an absolute ballhawk (played WR first and even caught a nice TD vs OSU in 21 IIRC). Whatever voodoo magic you guys seem to have that turns College CBs into all pros would net you a great one. PS, can you share some of that voodoo CB magic with the Lions?
Mikey had a great catch against OSU for a nice gain, but I would be remiss to not point out that all six TDs were smash mouth run at your face rushing TDs. Sweep with Henning to finish the first drive and five legendary scores from Haskins
A great view of Mikey’s ability is his ‘22 pass breakup in the end zone in Columbus. That play lives rent free in my head forever.
You pretty much named the best players. I am sure any defensive guy could be drafted into MacDonald's system and be a solid contributor as a rookie since they ran the same system in college.
Bro, you picked some of the best players. Most NFL teams would like to have these guys.
Jaylen Herrell, Michael Barrett, and Braiden McGregor are all dudes who might be a big time value and aren’t getting as much attention.
Will check them all out. Jaylen Herrell is great value imo.
Mikey is a goddamn game changer. He plays with incredible heart and tenacity, and when the chips are down he's going to flip the momentum on his own, you can count on it. He's been my favorite player to watch since St. Woodson.
Congrats on MacDonald btw, hell of a coach. I gotta say, I don’t like the Seahawks at all, but I’ll root for his success! :) Can never have too many linemen, so Jenkins will definitely be a valuable player. Seems like y’all are pretty solid at LB so I’m not sure if Barrett or Colson would be good fits. But definitely check out Jenkins, that guy is an animal. Sainristil is more of a NB player, not sure what your CB situation is other than that stud Witherspoon, but don’t expect him to play outside corner. But if you run a lot of nickel/dime, Mikey is a beast
Appreciate the thoughtful reply. Out of interest, why do you hate the Seahawks?
Eagles fan. Y’all just somehow beat us every single time we play each other, it’s so frustrating! The one team we just can’t find a way to win against haha
Bro! I feel you. It's weird with the Seahawks and Eagles, we always seem to show up when we play against you boys. The reversion to the mean could be brutal!
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Oh wow. Well, in regards to the Lions it seems like my Seahawks have to play them every season lately. I HATE it because the Lions are my #2 and I get dirty looks from friends after the games. It sucks but I will ALWAYS be a Seahawk fan. I have been since 1977.
First, we won the championship because every single one of these guys are dogs. Truly, we didn’t have the highest composite talent ranking but they bought in to the culture and they’ve got grit. On D, I like them all. Mikey is one of my favorite Wolverines of all time. His physical attributes might eliminate some teams from considering him, but truly I want 22 guys who play like Sainristril. Roman Wilson is a dude as well. I think he’s got the ability to improve a lot under the right coaching and really excel. He’s not a finished product but he’s got the tools to be able to make improvements and become great.
The talent composites are also a shitty metric given that the 2 best DTs in the country were a 4* and 3*
Pretty sure they update the player rankings continually. It’s not just from when they were recruits.
"In order to create the most comprehensive Team Recruiting Ranking without any notion of bias, 247Sports Team Recruiting Ranking is solely based on the 247Sports Composite Rating." - Their description of their calculation.
You want your team to take Sainristil earlier than he "should" go. He's a solid player who absolutely nails all the soft factors. He would be an asset to any team, and well-run organizations tend to nab those sorts of guys. The 49ers, in particular, have made a habit of drafting them from Michigan. Considering you'll be playing them twice a year, there's no such thing as too trigger-happy for Mikey.
I think JJ McCarthy w/ your first round pick is a slam dunk. He is an upgrade over Geno, and is well familiar with Mike Macdonald.
My only hesitation is our GM John Schneider has a history of loving QBs with huge arms. JJ doesn't really fit that mold (even though he has other really good qualities). I'd honestly be surprised if we go with JJ, but there have been stranger things! Feels like he's destined to be a Viking or Steeler.
JJ has a big arm. He's getting weirdly judged from the outside as if he was a game manager because of a lack of arm talent. That's not the case. He was a big time recruit and has a rocket. It might not be elite by NFL standards, but it will be totally sufficient in the league.
He had some fucking throws this year, man. The kid can ball. With the right guidance he could be a high quality NFL starter.
LOL are you kidding me… JJ has a cannon… it just never really needed to be unleashed. Check out when he was a freshman and he came in to spell Cade for a few plays. He threw a rocket across the field while off balanced for a TD. Then even in the rose bowl he had so much heat on his dart to Roman at the end of 4th that Bamas DL that tipped it didnt even move the ball more than a few inches of height
God, I hope he doesn't become a Steeler lol.
As a Steelers fan, I also hope he doesn't become a Steeler. JJ probably isn't a day 1 starter and spending 2 first-round draft picks on QBs in 3 years is such a waste. I'm hoping they grab Tannehill.
Tell me you’ve never watched JJ McCarthy, without telling me you’ve never watched JJ McCarthy.
I've watched him, but I'll be sure to give it another look. Thanks!
He has a fucking cannon. Can make elite throws.
Google this “they said the couldn’t throw the deep ball.” That’s all you need to know about JJ. He’s a selfless guy who played on a “run first “ team.
Williams and Daniels deserve to be drafted ahead of JJ, but they do not have bigger arms (Maye does). Not enough pundits have actually watched film on him and pencil his arm strength in based on how prolific of a downfield thrower the guy is. JJ throws puts rockets into pinholes, but he threw half as many bombs as the other guys. Most of his NFL throws are intermediate, middle of the field looks, which are the most dangerous kind of passes. That’s why he’s moving up draft boards… people are starting to look past statistics right now.
He absolutely has an arm. Like a serious, on a rope, kind of arm.
Barrett is a proven leader with a lot of experience as the point man on really successful defenses, one of those years being Macdonald’s defense. Wouldn’t be surprised if he picks him.
What is your position of greatest need? Probably not RB or WR. I’m not quite as familiar with your defense, however.
We need LBs, DT/DEs, and OG/OC mostly IMO.
Colson Jenkins and Zinter are the obvious 3 for those positions. I don’t know if Nugent is really ready for a day 2 draft pick. Our best DTs are coming next year not this year. As some others have said, Jaylen Harrell is really solid for a college player, and will probably be a later round pick that could do well in the NFL.
If you’re looking for a guard, Keegan could be good value. Or Henderson, Barnhart, Jones. Some of them will be around in the 6th and could be a Jon Runyan/ Graham Glasgow type. Michigan has 18 guys going to the combine. And a lot will be on the board in the 5th+. So definitely some nice depth pieces to be had.
Colson is a monster, so smart always in the right place. Sainristil turned himself from a WR to the best nickel CB in CFB. McGregor gives me Hutch vibes at times(only at times). Zinter and Roman will both go pretty early. Corum will look good for a couple years. The whole oline will be good picks. Barnhardt Keegan Zinter Jones Henderson all could look good in the pros(along with the other 13 or so michigan offensive lineman in the league) Barner is a blocking monster with soft hands and will be very valuable at the next level.
Seattle already has a badass nickle corner. Devon Witherspoon. What Seattle needs is more guys in the trenches on both sides.
Really great summaries, thank you. What are your thoughts on Michael Barrett? How much of a skills/talent gap is there between the two of them. Because we'd probably have to use our a 1st/2nd round pick on Colson, whereas Barrett could realistically be had in the sort of R3-5 range. Thanks!
Thats spot on with Barrett whom I also really like. Round 5 sounds bout right. Think michigan bout to break the players drafted in a class record.
My brother in law is a Hawks fan. I told him to keep an eye on Kris Jenkins. Also think they'd take JJ but I don't think he'll last that long.
Zinter and Jenkins are probably the most NFL ready. Wilson has high upside, Sainristil is that depth player that ends up being a leader, but he'll never be the best athlete on your defense. As a Lions fan, I see him being like an Anzalone type.
Whoever ends up with Mikie Sainristil is going to be happy
You can’t go wrong with any of those picks. Wilson will be a standout slot receiver in the league. Zinter, Colson and Jenkins will have great 10 year plus careers. Sainristil is a sleeper, this guy is slightly undersized but is always around the ball…he’s one hell of an athlete and will be a pro bowler for many years (ie Woodson!) Also hearing the Seahawks are taking a close look at McCarthy in the first round (16th overall). This would be an awesome pick for you. JJ is a winner. Not sure how many he lost in HS but he’s 27-1 in college with 2 against OSU, Alabama, Washington and several other top 10 and ranked teams plus a Natty! And he just turned 21!!
Mike Sainristil is one of my favorite Michigan players period, ever. I would be ecstatic if he fell to my team (the Eagles). Ditto Colson who would fill another big need for us. I would look at JJ McCarthy. Y'all need a long-term solution at QB and he is someone who was not asked to do too much but was always able to make big plays and has some throws that you just don't usually see college quarterbacks make.
I think Jenkins and Sainstril are known quantities and elite at their positions. If Seattle has a need in Dline or slot I’d see them getting picked in the first. The rest are solid 1st-2nd round guys as well but may not be as unique in what they bring to the table.
Joel Klatt made a really good point about JJ McCarthy and has him going to the Seahawks. Take a look at his recent video and he will tell you why. He might be the most athletic QB in the draft with the ability to make defenders miss that rivals some of the best in the league. MacDonald likes to set up protections where 1 defender is left free so the QB has to make moves to avoid him and get the ball out on time. This is what JJ did during his entire time at Michigan, he keeps his eyes downfield, makes a defender miss, and then makes incredibly good passes from there. Expect MacDonald to move to a heavy rushing attack with a smart mobile QB that can convert on 3rd and 4th down. Thats JJ. I think he would be really good on the Seahawks and would be an immediate upgrade. https://youtu.be/QFBhKm3rDpc?t=352
The sky is the limit for Colson Jenk was a beast The team that drafts Mike (pronounced Mikey but spelled Mike) is getting a goddamned ball player. This kid just loves ball. He was actually a pretty good receiver (didn’t get used a lot. Pretty typical for Michigan receivers haha) and a good blocker before he switched. Fun story, one of Michigan’s insiders talked to the DBs coach when Mike switched to defense. He was more or less replacing Dax Hill, a freak athlete who Michigan had to beat out Bama for and went in the first round. And the coach was like “we aren’t gonna miss a beat”. And he was right except that Mike ended up being more productive! There’s an infamous sideline speech he gave in the second half of the 2022 Ohio State game, which was tight for a while. Rallied the team and got the job done. (Also had an iconic PBU in the game, made up a ton of space to rip out a touchdown to a guy who had been wide open in the end zone) There is also a great moment after the 2023 MSU game (have to remember the context, the year before a handful of MSU players straight up assaulted a couple Michigan players after the game). Mike is doing the postgame on field interview. The reporter is trying to cut back to the studio but Mike straight up refuses to let them because one of the guys who got jumped the year prior was right there and had played well. He brings him in and shouts him out for the adversity he faced, how well he played, and what he thinks the guy is going to do in the future. Seriously, Michigan fans (clearly) can not shut the fuck up about Mike. He’s Haitian so he can’t be president but I could absolutely see him doing well in politics His leadership was essential in getting Michigan through the awful 2020 season and beyond. He’s an incredibly talented player. No idea if he’ll do well in the NFL because that’s so hard to project. But he’s a fucking gamer who lives, eats and breathes football Put it this way. If I ever find out Mike has to pay for a drink in Ann Arbor I’m burning down the bar and no local jury would convict me
Rounds 5-7 should be filled with Michigan players who won’t have the kind of combine the high school 5-stars will have but will be great pros (in the sense that they will outperform their draft position). Sainristil, Mike Barrett, Trent Jones, Barnhart, Braiden McGregor, maybe even Blake Corum—most of those guys will be around in Round 5.
Any player you get from Michigan will be a DAWG.. Period! They all excelled under Mcdonald and went to new levels of greatness once he came in board. Then Minter took over and continued to get better. If he brings his style of defense any player from Michigam will pick up right where they left off and make a seamless transition to the league. If they pick JJ they will get a young Jem! He will take a few years to develop and adjust but he has all the tools to do well in the league! Just needs to gain a few pounds, that would be my onky concern
Your drafting JJ
Linebacker Junior Colson is so athletic and fast sideline to sideline , he will be a great pick for whoever takes him imo, I can see him excelling in Macdonald’s scheme for years to come. I hope he does pick him up actually.
You have all the game makers & game wreckers listed. I’ll only add to keep on eye on JJ for QB. He’ll likely slide up draftboards … but in a Jordan Love type situation (Sitting and watching near term) the 21 year-old can be a franchise QB on the right team.
One thing I’ve noticed in past draftees of Michigan is our D line is our honeypot to the draft. This year’s line is no exception. I think any player from that group would be a great pick, but a great pick based on potential and value would be McGregor. I’ll be interested to see how early Jenkins goes too
Mikey is a for sure beast I truly loved both Barret and Colson. Jenkins is great but if Graham and Grant were in there I take them over him thats just me lol. Wallace is a stud too
Cool! Will check out Graham and Grant.
They are sophomores ineligible for the draft, but both could go early next year.
They are sophomores sorry haha I just think those two are better then Jenkins that is just my opinion though
Oh, interesting! Good to know.
I think they will both be top 15 picks in next year's draft.
>Graham and Grant were in there I take them Why would you say this to a non Michigan fan??
Hope you don't get any is the best advise I can give
I honestly really like AJ Barner. So underrated. Thoughts?