Eleven Former Michigan Wolverines Invited To NFL Combine

The NFL announced the list of all 337 prospects that have been invited to attend the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, which will take place in Indianapolis from Feb. 24 through March 1.

11 pro-bound former U-M players made the list: offensive lineman Ben Bredeson, cornerback LaVert Hill, linebacker Khaleke Hudson, tight end Sean McKeon, safety Josh Metellus, offensive lineman Mike Onwenu, quarterback Shea Patterson, wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz, offensive lineman Jon Runyan and linebacker Josh Uche.

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Eight of the prospects graduated and are out of eligibility at the college level, while Peoples-Jones, Ruiz and Uche all left early for the NFL. Uche was a redshirt junior in 2019 (and graduated), while Peoples-Jones and Ruiz both left after their junior seasons.

Hill, Onwenu and Runyan played in January's East-West Shrine Bowl, while Bredeson, Hudson, Metellus, Patterson and Uche played in the Reese's Senior Bowl.

Fifth-year senior defensive end Michael Danna was not invited to the combine, despite impressing at January's East-West Shrine Bowl practices. Linebacker Jordan Glasgow also participated in the Shrine Bowl, but was not invited to the combine.

U-M is tied with Ohio State for the second-most combine invitees by any school, with 11, only behind LSU, who has 16 prospects that were invited.

Last year, U-M touted six former players that participated in the combine: linebacker Devin Bush, defensive end Rashan Gary, tight end Zach Gentry, running back Karan Higdon, cornerback David Long and defensive end Chase Winovich.

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NFL.com provided an analysis and overview of the prospects' potential at the next level as they enter the draft process, from draft analyst Lance Zierlein:

"Four-year starter who will get dinged for some athletic limitations, but possesses the body type, leadership and toughness necessary to play in the league. Bredeson is best-suited firing out in a power-based rushing attacking where his disadvantages in space can be mitigated. There are correctable elements in his game that should forge continued improvement, but there will be some bumpy roads against interior quickness. He should become an average starter."

"Undersized press corner with good instincts, ball skills and coverage strength, but a concerning lack of long speed. Hill's body control and short area quickness put him in position to make plays on the football, but when forced to cover downfield, he begins to grab and pull to prevent big plays against him. He's too small to stay outside but his strength could help balance out average suddenness against shifty slots. The discipline and awareness are present to play short zone, but run support might be an issue if teams come at him from 11 personnel. Projecting a successful move inside is challenging so he gets a backup "prove it" grade until the challenge is met."

"Undersized safety turned linebacker who summons toughness and spunk to counterbalance his lack of traits. The production has been fairly impressive in two of the last three seasons, but he's quicker than fast and his range is limited. Hudson's lack of size shows up near the line of scrimmage and he's not as sticky in coverage as he needs to be. His talent for blocking punts should garner attention, but may not be enough to overcome deficiencies at linebacker or safety."

"Experienced handling wham blocks, combo blocks and kick-outs, McKeon improved as a blocker as the 2019 season wore on, but he lacks the core power to match up with rugged NFL edge-setters right now. His routes don't feature much burst to separate against dedicated coverage. However, he plays with good catch focus when working the soft spots of zones. McKeon might find a roster spot or a practice squad as a late-round, developmental "Y" tight end."

"Plays downhill in run support. Technical tackler with high finishing rate. Fits gap with quick gather-and-strike talent. May offer positional versatility on the next level. Possesses balance and hips for short-area coverage duties. Foot twitch for transitions from coverage to close-out. Aggressive clawing at catch-point. Strike to jar football loose from receivers. Early recognition and response to play-action. Gets head around to find football downfield."

"Powerful and wide, Onwenu's natural play strength is somewhat offset by his below-average athletic ability. With better hand placement and attention to footwork, he can take a step forward as a drive blocker with the ability to move bodies around, but he'll be a scheme-specific prospect who could struggle against quick, upfield players and sub-package rushers. He has backup guard ability and potential as a Day 3 pick."

"Undersized, energetic quarterback who put tantalizing moments together on tape, but failed to sustain it at a high level. Patterson doesn't have the arm or accuracy to consistently beat NFL coverages, but he can get through progressions quickly and is willing to sit in and deliver to targets in the face of pressure. He appears to be a quick processor on the move and shows some ability to improvise and win. Finding an RPO-heavy offense that allows him to play fast and utilize his talent outside of the pocket could be critical in sticking on an NFL roster long-term as a backup."

"Former five-star and top-rated receiver coming out of high school, Peoples-Jones failed to find the success and production expected over his three seasons at Michigan. His route tempo is sluggish, but he has some savvy and shortcuts footwork for out-breaking routes to the boundary. He doesn't run well enough to play outside in the pros but has decent tape as a big slot. His pro limitations go beyond Michigan's spotty offense and he may not reach any higher than being an average backup."

"Athletic and tenacious with the combination of skills and technique to fit into a variety of blocking schemes on the next level. Ruiz wins early with initial quickness and fast hands into first contact. He works to convert early advantages into wins. He's consistent in securing down-blocks and has the athletic traits to become a second-level factor. He'll give some ground to power rushers and needs help against wide-bodies, but the tape checks out. Ruiz has early starting potential and should develop into a good pro with guard/center flexibility."

"Balancing Uche's skill set and athletic potential against his inexperience and lack of instincts makes him a challenging evaluation. He's unlikely to find sustained success as a situational rusher, but it should be in play for a team to turn loose his rush instincts and agility inside the pocket as a blitzer. He plays with closing burst, can tackle and is smoother in coverage than expected, but the difference in becoming a pro linebacker instead of a short-term, hybrid athlete will depend largely upon improving his second-level instincts and finding an eclectic defensive mind to unlock his potential."

While NFL.com did not provide an analysis on Runyan, thedraftnetwork.com had good things to say about his abilities: "Started every game at left tackle for Michigan in 2018 and earned first-team All-Big 10. Excellent mover for his height at 6’5, and that is shown in his natural pass sets. Patient in pass protection, never looking to overextend. Will wait for the defensive end to make the first move and react, often winning the hand placement battle. Smooth, natural and stout, rarely allowing penetration into the feet of the quarterback. Will take pass rushers for a ride around the edge track when they approach too vertically."

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