The Michigan Wolverines are a team comprised of mostly underclassmen contributors this season, but players like senior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson are leading the way in the 6-0 start. As a result, his NFL Draft standing has been solidified greatly with how he has played so far this season.
Hutchinson has the magnifying glass on him right now from NFL scouts across the country, along with other senior leaders on Michigan's roster. The draft process has to start somewhere, and the wheels are already in motion down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
The Senior Bowl is considered the biggest college all-star game and an event that unofficially kicks off the NFL Draft process early in the winter. The Wolverine caught up with former NFL scout, ESPN draft analyst and Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy for a midseason reset to chat about the Michigan prospects on his team's radar and more.
They are currently working from a board of 700 seniors and graduated players to narrow down who will be invited to the event in February. From there, they will be coached by a pair of to-be-determined NFL staffs for a week leading up to the all-star game on Saturday, Feb. 5.
Given that Hutchinson is the face of the upcoming draft cycle for the Wolverines, the conversation had to start with him.
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“He’s not a hard guy to figure out," Nagy said in a phone conversation this week. "When we talk to the NFL, it’s more about guys that are on the cutline for our game and who they want to see here in Mobile and who they don’t. Guys like Aidan Hutchinson are rarely in those conversations.”
Hutchinson's play has drawn a lot of national attention this season, but it is not a surprise to Nagy. He has long been a fan of his game and sees one not-so-subtle difference to how Hutchinson has played.
“I don’t think Aidan is any different of a player than I’ve seen from past years, to be honest," he said. "He’s always been a really good athlete and played really hard. He’s always been disruptive. The biggest thing this year is that he’s finishing more on the quarterback. That’s translated into numbers that show up on paper.
"It looks like he’s taken this big jump as a player, but when you put on the tape, it’s pretty similar to the past. Aidan has always had a ton of ability.”
Some believe there is a chance that Hutchinson, who has 5.5 sacks through six games this year, can push Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux as the first edge rusher off the board. Nagy believes the first-round hype is legitimate and that where it goes from there depends on team needs and evaluations.
"When you get up in that area, it’s based on team needs and how the different position groups end up, like with juniors getting involved," he said. "It’s way too premature to talk like that. Is Aidan a guy that some team is going to take in the first round? I think he’s definitely in that conversation. But he belonged there before the season started. Anyone who didn’t have Aidan Hutchinson as a potential first-round pick coming into the year, I don’t know what they are looking at.”
The Senior Bowl is comprised of graduated players and does not include underclassmen. Of that group, Nagy says his team is looking the closest at running back Hassan Haskins and offensive tackle Andrew Stueber. It seems limited compared to the past classes, but Nagy believes it is a positive for Michigan's future outlook.
“That’s a really good sign if you’re a Michigan fan," he said. "(Wide receiver) Ronnie Bell would have been in that group as well (before his injury). We really liked him coming into the year. That’s great news if you’re a Michigan fan because the majority of their talent is younger guys. Guys that are getting it done for them right now aren’t seniors."
Haskins, who has 492 yards rushing and eight touchdowns in six games, has not been the flashiest back in Michigan's rotation over the years. However, Nagy painted a picture of why the Senior Bowl is taking a hard look at him.
“Hassan is going to be right in the mix at running back, he said. "That’s a hard position to make cuts at and we usually only bring six running backs. When you look around the country, there are a lot of good backs out there. I really like his size. He’s that 220-plus pound back that the NFL really wants. We know he’s going to test well. That’s a challenge for picking rosters in November. We don’t have the benefit of seeing how these guys work out at the pro day or combine, but based on Hassan’s high school track stuff and him being a (6-foot-7) high jumper, we’ve got a pretty good idea that he’s going to do well in the spring. That helps us when we come down to selecting our rosters.
"And then all the special teams stuff. I think that’s going to set him apart as well. Playing on the punt team like he’s done and run down there and covered, and doing a good job at it. He’s not just out there. He puts forth really good effort. He gets off blocks, makes tackles, and is disruptive. And then just being that big back. That guy can get tough yardage after contact. He’s got that profile that really works in the NFL, and as we see at that level on a weekly basis, those guys go down. That’s why the league puts such a value on size. Hassan fits that and he’s going to be squarely in the mix for a spot.”
Steuber has been a versatile piece for Michigan's offensive line the last few seasons, getting time at right guard in 2020 and holding down the fort at right tackle through six games this year. He is playing career-best football and has appeared in 27 games so far in his career.
These are all traits that make him a player Nagy is interested in getting down to Mobile this winter.
"He’s played guard and tackle, and done it at a winning level at both positions," Nagy said. "In terms of the athlete, there are going to be better ones out there. But he’s one of those guys, and he’s not a bad athlete by any stretch, he knows how to play. He knows how to play with what he has, which is really important on the offensive line. We always talk about blind projections in scouting. You see a guy play one position and you think he has the tools to play another, but you haven’t seen him before. With Stueber, you’ve seen him play both and play at a winning level.
"He does have pretty good initial quickness and can get out on the move better than you think and he’s one of those guys that grow on you the more you watch him. He’s just a good football player. Those major-program guys with a lot of career starts, you go back to my time in the NFL and we did studies on what type of players play at the next level and it’s a lot of those guys. It’s the major-program guys that have played a lot of football and have positional versatility. Stueber is obviously that guy.”
Stueuber's physical characteristics might make him a candidate to jump inside on a more regular basis in the NFL, but Nagy would not rule out his prospects at tackle.
“He’s probably a better fit at guard," he said. "From a length perspective, I don’t know if it’s ideal on the edge. Because he plays within himself and he’s smart, an instinctive player and has a nice feel, he more than gets by out there. You get to the NFL and those guys, even in the middle of the season, there aren’t enough linemen. A guy that can plug in a couple of different spots is always valuable to have on the roster and why Andrew’s got a really good chance of getting his name called next April and he’ll be in the mix for a spot here in Mobile.”
The toughest games on Michigan's schedule come in the final six weeks of the season. There is a ton on the line for the program as it looks to secure its claim as a Big Ten contender, but the stretch run also provides an opportunity for Wolverines looking to make the leap to the NFL.
“They’re going to be going up against some good defenses," Nagy said. "Penn State’s defense is loaded with NFL players. There are six-to-eight draftable players on Penn State’s defense. That creates matchups that the NFL is going to watch to see across the board for Stueber and Hassan. When you’re a running back going against a defense that is loaded with NFL guys, you’re going to have a lot of opportunities to be one-on-one in the hole with linebackers. You’ll have a chance to break through the second level and get out there with secondary guys that are going to play at the next level, as well. Showcase your speed.
"Then go to Ohio State. That’s a yearly thing. The Michigan/Ohio State game is one of the first you throw on for both of those teams. This Michigan State game will be big. From a scouting perspective, you love to see how guys compete in rivalry games. You look at individual player matchups with guys that are going to be prospect-on-prospect. Future NFL guy vs. future NFL guy. Rivalry games should matter to these players. You want to see how they get up for those, as well.”
Nagy has built out a staff through 3.5 years as Executive Director that is filled with experienced scouts and veterans in talent evaluation. He has also put an emphasis on relationship-building, which has helped in gathering information about the players the Senior Bowl looks to bring in.
"That’s why we are at games on Saturdays," Nagy said. "That’s why it’s important we have our structure the way we have it. Before we got here 3.5 years ago, there had never been an all-star game with a scouting staff before. We’re doing it the right way. We’re at games every Saturday. We’ve seen Michigan play twice already. That’s why it’s important to have experienced NFL scouts. They have those relationships. You meet up with those guys during pregame and get with them on the field. They are also a phone call away. Having guys that have been in these buildings for 15, 20, 25 years for some of the guys on our staff, they can make those phone calls and the coaches answer their calls. We’re in constant contact with them or they are reaching out to us.
"I’ve been hit up by two head coaches already today about where some of their guys are at this year from the perspective of their staff and who they feel like are ascending players for them. That’s a big part of it. We rely on those relationships. They’re really valuable. These coaches know their players better than anyone”
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