The Michigan Wolverines' football program was expected to be well-represented in this past weekend's NFL draft, with a total of 13 Maize and Blue prospects hoping to hear their names called.
Ten of those 13 ended up coming off the board, which begs the question — was it surprising that the Wolverines wound up having such an excellent showing in this year's draft?
Staff writers Austin Fox and Clayton Sayfie provide their responses below:
Austin Fox — Buy
The most realistic number for Michigan draft picks heading into this past weekend was eight or nine, with anyone who projected 10 appearing to be a bit of an optimist. Ten was viewed as a possibility, but it meant that several of the fringe prospects (like offensive guard Mike Onwenu, offensive tackle Jon Runyan, etc.) would likely have to hear their names called … and that’s exactly what happened.
All but two of U-M’s ‘fringe players’ were selected, with cornerback Lavert Hill and tight end Sean McKeon being the lone two exceptions (we’re not counting quarterback Shea Patterson as a fringe prospect, when considering his name seldom appeared in mock drafts prior to this past weekend).
Combine that with the fact that two Michigan players who weren’t expected to be picked — defensive end Michael Danna and linebacker Jordan Glasgow — wound up being chosen, and it equated out to one of the best draft classes in school history.
This weekend’s events have since caused many to wonder why more U-M players were drafted than expected, and the answer is quite simple: NFL teams are attracted to Michigan prospects and the way Jim Harbaugh prepares them for the league during their time in Ann Arbor.
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is fond of Wolverine players for obvious reasons (he has drafted three of them since 2016), while Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll admitted in 2017 — after selecting safety Delano Hill and receiver Amara Darboh in that year’s draft — that he’s appreciative of the scheme Michigan’s athletes compete in, because of the opportunity it gives the Seahawks to evaluate them.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin echoed a similar sentiment last year after his club drafted linebacker Devin Bush in the first round and tight end Zach Gentry in the fifth.
“Certain kids are attracted to programs — like Michigan — that have a history, tradition and legacy that is centered around core values and football,” Tomlin said. “When you see a kid like Gentry make a conscious decision to move from New Mexico to Michigan, it’s attractive to us.
"The aspects that bring those young men to a place like U-M attract other young men who see that.”
Since 2016, U-M's draftees have consistently mentioned the way Harbaugh and his staff prepare their athletes for the NFL, and how the football program as a whole is, in a lot of ways, run similar to the way a professional organization operates.
Harbaugh’s practices have long been known to imitate NFL-style ones, and three of his current assistants — quarterbacks coach Ben McDaniels, running backs coach Jay Harbaugh and cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich — all have NFL coaching experience on their resumes (which is actually the fewest total Harbaugh has had during his time at Michigan).
Clayton Sayfie — Buy
It was surprising, but it wasn’t shocking. U-M had 13 NFL hopefuls, and there was a good chance many of them would get picked, but we thought around seven to nine of them would go, not 10.
Cesar Ruiz and Josh Uche going in rounds one and two, respectively, was certainly as planned. All four offensive linemen were picked, including Jon Runyan and Michael Onwenu in the sixth round.
That was no surprise. All will have a chance to either start (Ruiz and Bredeson) or to be a backup that could end up starting down the road (Runyan and Onwenu). Donovan Peoples-Jones slid to the sixth round, which was not expected.
The picks that surprised us were Michael Danna and Khaleke Hudson in the fifth round, and Jordan Glasgow and Josh Metellus in round six. Individually, we weren’t caught off guard by any of them being taken by a team on day three — outside of Danna, who wasn’t on any draft boards we had seen — but all four being selected was a bit of a surprise collectively.
The most surprising aspect of the entire draft from a Michigan perspective was not who got drafted, but who didn’t. Cornerback Lavert Hill didn’t see his name called over the weekend.
He was projected to go in the late rounds, and we thought he was almost a lock to be one of the Wolverines taken. It’s not exactly clear how well Hill’s game will translate to the pros, as he’s undersized at 5-feet-10, 190 pounds.
He has strong technique, but is limited a bit athletically. Even so, he’s proven at the college level. Hill signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, and will fight to make the team and make an impact on special teams or in sub-situations.
When it’s all said and done, he may be one that makes a roster, while some Wolverines who got drafted do not. With having a brother (Delano Hill) in the league, Hill will know what it takes to secure a roster spot.
Overall, a very good draft for U-M. More guys went than we expected, but many in the late rounds, meaning they’ll have to scratch and claw to make a team. We wouldn’t bet against many of them, who had to scratch and claw to get to this point anyway.
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