Former Michigan linebacker Devin Bush Jr. was the first Wolverine off the board Thursday night at the NFL Draft.
Bush was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 10 overall pick in the first round. He had been projected early in the first round for many months and the Steelers traded up to grab him.
He is Michigan’s highest drafted player since Jake Long went No. 1 overall in 2008 and was the first U-M linebacker to go in the first round since 1981.
ESPN’s NFL analyst Louis Riddick had high praise for Bush on the broadcast.
“I love this pick,” he noted. “I think he is pound for pound the best player in this draft … He brings it. Pittsburgh Steelers, my hat’s off to you — you moved up to get a guy that can make an impact.”
This past season, Bush was selected as an NCAA consensus All-American after being named the Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year. He led the team with 80 tackles, including 9.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks and six pass breakups.
In addition to his conference awards, he was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top defensive player and the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker.
He finished his Michigan career with 194 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, one interception and 17 pass breakups along with being named first-team All-Big Ten in 2017 and 2018.
After an impressive Michigan career, he was elated to be selected in the first round.
“The relief and the stress of the draft, the hard work I put in to get here, being in that small percent to have a chance to get drafted [is special], “ Bush told ESPN. "It’s just so special and hard to describe right now with words. I can’t wait to be a Steeler.”
NFL Network’s Kurt Warner also liked the pick for the Steelers.
“I think it’s a perfect fit,” he said on the broadcast. “They jumped their rival to get the player they want.”
The praise for Bush didn’t stop with Warner. NFL Network analyst Steve Smith Sr.
“I love this pick with Devin Bush, he’s a problem solver for the defense,” he said on the broadcast. “If the offense creates a problem, he’s going to go ahead and solve it. When Ryan Shazier got hurt they lost a team leader and also lost a playmaker. Now they have filled that void.”
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