A school-record and national-best 14 former Michigan football players will take part in the 2017 NFL Combine, which technically started with players arriving Tuesday — but on-field testing doesn't begin until Friday.
LINK: The Wolverine's Pre-Combine Mock Draft Roundup
So far, offensive linemen, running backs and specialists have been officially measured, medically checked out and met with teams, but that's been the bulk of the action so far. That group will do the bench press and media interviews starting Thursday before getting on the field in Indianapolis the following day.
The Wolverine takes a look at the 14 former U-M players that will be in action in preparation for the NFL Draft (April 27-29):
OL Ben Braden
The unanimous All-Big Ten second-team pick started at both left tackle (seven games) and left guard (four) as a fifth-year senior. He has previously started at right tackle, giving him great versatility for the next level, which should be viewed as a plus. It is interesting that he was the lone U-M offensive lineman of the three seniors to receive a combine invite, it’s up to him to make the most out of it.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-6/335
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Fri., March 3
Most Important Thing: He has the size and athleticism, but there are questions about his technique. That means positional drills could be the key for him in Indianapolis.
TE Jake Butt
The top receiving tight end in school history has established his hands, and the two-time All-American is also a proven blocker. The biggest question mark on him entering the pre-draft process was about his athleticism, and unfortunately he’s not in position to do much to change opinions on that due to his knee injury. The former team captain should shine in interviews and could be a steal on day two of the draft — there aren’t any available tight ends who were more productive on the college level than the 2016 Mackey Award winner.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-6/250
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Sat., March 4 (won’t be able to participate due to his torn ACL)
Most Important Thing: Coming off an ACL injury suffered in the Orange Bowl, the medical evaluations and when teams think he can get back up to full speed will likely be the biggest takeaway from the combine.
DE Taco Charlton
The first-team All-Big Ten choice closed his final campaign in Ann Arbor with an impressive flurry — he posted sacks in each of his last four appearances, including 2.5 quarterback takedowns against Ohio State. That has made him one of the biggest risers in the pre-combine NFL mock drafts; ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay (in a rare instance where they agree) both rank him 11th on their big boards of the draft’s top players regardless of position. He is a consensus first-round pick right now in the 15 mock drafts we examined before the combine started.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-6/272
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Sun., March 5
Most Important Thing: The crucial element for Charlton might be to just not test terribly in any event. His stock is soaring, it’s all about not giving teams a reason to do a 180. He did miss two games this fall, but his medicals should be fine and he's expected to test well in all aspects. He’ll probably have to answer questions about the uneven production that started his career and his decision to skip the Senior Bowl, but he’s not the first — and won’t be the last — to sit out an all-star exhibition (remember, others in this draft sat out their team's bowl game). Testing well could even prove his decision was the right one.
WR Jehu Chesson
Chesson went from team MVP as a junior (916 yards and 11 touchdowns from scrimmage) to playing second fiddle to classmate Amara Darboh in his final campaign (563, 3). He missed spring practice prior to his final campaign with a knee injury suffered in the previous bowl game, and that probably played some role in the decline, especially with a new quarterback taking the reins. He’s still on the NFL’s radar, thanks to an impressive size-speed combo, and the combine is his time to shine.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-3/203
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Sat., March 4
Most Important Thing: Provided his medicals check out, it will be the 40-yard dash. He was a phenomenal deep threat in 2015 who was also effective running the ball (19.4-yard average) and returning kicks, including a 96-yard touchdown. He needs to show the top gear that led to ESPN.com naming him the Wolverines’ fastest player in April of 2016 is still there.
CB Jeremy Clark
The Kentucky native was never a full-time starter, but the size he brings to the position will catch plenty of attention. He suffered a season-ending injury in 2016, so teams will be doing their due diligence on his torn ACL. In just three starts this year, he posted 10 tackles with three pass breakups. In 2015, he started seven games and snared three interceptions (his career total). A sixth year with a chance to prove himself as a No. 1 cover man would’ve been huge, but that was denied by the NCAA. He also has some experience at safety and could be a fit there.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-4/206
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Mon., March 6 (may not be able to participate due to ACL injury)
Most Important Thing: With such a tall cornerback, his speed, agility and how scouts see him move covering receivers would be key, but after suffering the injury Sept. 24, he may not be cleared to participate. Obviously, medical examinations are paramount for a guy that has been through a few injuries during his time in Ann Arbor, but it is a positive sign that he received an invite to Indy.
WR Amara Darboh
The productive wideout improved every year in Ann Arbor — going from 36 catches for 473 yards and two touchdowns in 2014 to 58 grabs for 727 yards and five scores the following campaign. He capped his career with 57 receptions for 862 yards and seven scores — leading the squad in each category — en route to second-team All-Big Ten laurels. The Sierra Leone native (he moved to the U.S. at seven years old) is experienced in a pro-style offense, has NFL size and is capable of making jaw-dropping catches like the one-hander against BYU or the diving TD grab against Rutgers.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-2/215
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Sat., March 4
Most Important Thing: He doesn’t have the reputation of being a burner like Chesson, so timing well on the 40 and shuttle will be key. Darboh is probably viewed as more of a possession guy, so showing some speed and quickness will help him move up draft boards.
LB Ben Gedeon
After bringing just one career start and 70 tackles into his senior campaign, Gedeon emerged as a full-time starter who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the media after notching 106 stops, including 15.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks. He’s a physical, aggressive and heady player who might have to make his bones at the next level — at least initially — on special teams, something he did plenty of during his college career.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-3/247
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Sun., March 5
Most Important Thing: This week will be all about showing he has adequate speed to make it in the league. One regional scout on NFL.com compared him to former teammate Jake Ryan (now with the Packers). Ryan timed at 4.65 seconds in the 40, 7.11 seconds on the 3-cone drill, 4.20 seconds on the 20-yard shuttle and 11.65 seconds on the 60-yard shuttle before being drafted in the fourth round — Gedeon helps himself immensely if he's in the same ballpark as those marks.
DT Ryan Glasgow
Glasgow will be trying to follow the same path as his brother, Graham (an offensive lineman who started 11 games for the Detroit Lions as a rookie in 2016), going from a U-M walk-on to an NFL Draft pick. The Wolverine coaches have long raved about his play in the middle of a ferocious defensive front — after the UCF game, Jim Harbaugh said Glasgow graded as well as any defensive tackle he’s ever seen — and the defense suffered when he missed games due to injury at the end of the 2015 season. He excelled at nose tackle in college, but is probably versatile enough to play a three-technique tackle spot as well.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-4/299
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Sun., March 5
Most Important Thing: If intangibles or toughness were able to be tested, Glasgow would be off-the-charts good. He probably won’t rate as well athletically, but his showcase event might be the bench press, where he can put his immense strength on display. When The Wolverine talked to CBS Sports draft expert Dane Brugler, he noted Glasgow was “often the first defender to move,” so his starts and short-distance quickness might also turn some heads.
S Delano Hill
Despite a fairly modest stat line as a senior — 52 stops, 4.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and three interceptions — he was still named a second-team All-Big Ten pick by league coaches. The three picks that capped his time in Ann Arbor represented his career total, but it showed some ball skills that would have been a huge question mark if he didn’t put those on the tape.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-1/215
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Mon., March 6
Most Important Thing: Hill’s production is somewhat limited, never being a full-time starter before his final season, and there are questions about his athleticism, so every exercise he does this week will be huge. Test off the charts and he may no longer be on the draft bubble, but a misstep could also drop him to being an undrafted free agent. Either way, special teams are a huge part of determining his future.
CB Jourdan Lewis
The cornerback class is excellent — NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah recently wrote, “If this group runs as fast as I expect, I think you can make an argument this is the best group we’ve seen in a very long time.” — and Lewis, despite his lack of ideal size, is one of the best cover men available. The size may keep him from being drafted in the first round, but he won’t last much longer than that.
U-M Height/Weight: 5-11/186
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Mon., March 6
Most Important Thing: As silly as it may sound for a record-setting All-American, something he has no control over — his size — will be what likely plays the largest role in where he is drafted. The production, athleticism and ball skills are all elite, but teams will closely be examining what he checks in at size-wise, all the way down to arm length — although they should already have a good idea on the numbers after he participated in the Senior Bowl (however, there have been guys that already measured in at the combine with longer arms than in Mobile).
LB Jabrill Peppers
The Heisman Trophy finalist might not be a true linebacker at the next level, but that’s where he’s working out at the combine after playing there at Michigan last year. He actually lined up all over for the Wolverines — Michigan said that he saw time at 15 different spots throughout the year — and his versatility should intrigue most NFL teams. With the league becoming more pass-oriented by the year, he might be a new kind of hybrid defender that teams are looking for, but it’s anybody’s guess where he is eventually drafted (although it's likely to be early) and for what role.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-1/205
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Sun., March 5
Most Important Thing: In an interview with the MMQB, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. called Peppers “the most interesting guy at the combine. … If he tests off the charts, all of the sudden now people don’t care as much if he is a tweener, or a wild card. If he doesn’t test great, then that tweener label will hurt him. The combine is very important for Peppers.”
We couldn’t sum it up much better than that. Given his outstanding track background, Peppers should time extremely well for a linebacker (or even a safety), but scouts are going to be zeroed in on his hips to try gauging his coverage potential, and he’ll need to put up a respectable number on the bench press to show he has the strength required to play close to the line of scrimmage. His medicals will also be looked over closely after missing the final nine games of 2014 and this past season's Orange Bowl. Peppers has been dropping on mock drafts/big boards done by the media since the end of the season, due to concerns over his NFL fit, but he could change that with strong test results.
RB De'Veon Smith
Smith is a north-south runner who paced the Wolverines in rushing each of his final three years, capped by 846 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior. He runs hard, is strong and has been praised for his pass blocking, but lacks the sheer speed NFL teams are looking for. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry in his career on 495 attempts.
U-M Height/Weight: 5-11/228
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Fri., March 3
Most Important Thing: It all comes down to Smith testing well on his runs and agility drills; maybe he can surprise some with his times. What he is, is pretty well known at this point after three years of being U-M’s No. 1 back. He did earn his way into the Senior Bowl with a strong performance at the East-West Shrine Game and then was awarded a combine invite, so he has at least intrigued so far in the process.
CB Channing Stribling
Stribling is the opposite of classmate Jourdan Lewis — he has the size ever NFL team dreams of but the extended production isn’t exactly there. However, he was very good as a senior, his first time as a full-time starter, and led the squad with four picks and 13 passes broken up. Nobody in the Big Ten had more pass breakups during conference play than Stribling, whose six interceptions in his final two seasons show good ball skills.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-2/175
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Mon., March 6
Most Important Thing: Being listed at 175, Stribling's stock can be boosted by testing well on the bench press. Strength is his biggest question mark going into Indianapolis because he should measure and time well. Showing adequate strength and agility (always a concern with taller corners) could turn him into a pre-draft riser.
DE Chris Wormley
Another former Wolverine with great versatility that should intrigue NFL clubs. He has the size, athleticism, intelligence and even experience where he should be able to fit almost anywhere on a defensive front. The former team captain passes the looks test and should do well on all combine exercises — and even better in interviews with teams. NFL teams won’t forget about his kick-blocking prowess, either.
U-M Height/Weight: 6-6/302
On-Field Workout Day (everything but bench press): Sun., March 5
Most Important Thing: Wormley has put a lot on tape for scouts to analyze during his 2.5 years as a starter. Like some of his college teammates, it’s all about not disappointing in Indy; he might even be able to emerge as one of the stronger defensive ends able to set the edge and play the run while still providing some disruption as a pass rusher.
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