Michigan fifth-year senior cornerback Jeremy Clark could have been a huge help to the Wolverines’ secondary in 2017, but his petition for a sixth year due to a knee injury was denied. Instead he made his way to the NFL Combine, a surprise invite, and impressed even though he was limited physically.

Clark notched 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, No. 3 among defensive backs. And because he’s added weight to his frame — he’s now 6-3, 220 pounds — and has played several positions in the secondary, he is seen as a versatile guy with great potential at the next level.

"When they first told me I was moving to cornerback, I had a conversation with my dad. I was like, 'Dad, I don't know what they're doing. They've got me playing a different position,'" Clark said. "He just told me, 'Keep your mind open. You never know it could work out for the best.'

"And it did."

Clark notched three interceptions and six pass break-ups over his final 17 games, but he was lost for the season after tearing an ACL during a September win over Penn State. He couldn’t run but added 15 pounds of muscle, doing what he could in the weight room.

He’s made huge strides in recovering from his surgery, but he wasn’t ready to chance it by running for scouts at the Combine. Instead he met with different teams and impressed them with his words.

“I’m running around and everything, but my process is different than the other guys," Clark said. "They were training for sprints. I was training just to be able to run again. I didn’t want to come out here and try to run. I’m already behind, so I didn’t want to try to do that and hurt myself.

"I have a real good feeling about [the meetings]. I feel like I rubbed teams the right way. I came off as I wanted to, showed them I've still been working. I'm doing my job right now."

While corner is his preference, he’s willing to play anywhere.

"I feel like I can play both positions, so I'm just going in with an open mind," Clark said. "Whatever they need me.

“My physicality, my competitiveness, the desire to win … I just feel like I would be able to dominate at corner, so whatever team drafts me, that’s what I feel like they can get — a dominant corner.”

The disappointment of his injury, meanwhile, has made him more focused than ever.

“I take certain things more serious than I did when I was healthy," Clark said. "I think it’s given me a better mindset. Now I know how important it is to take care of the body. The small things you’ve got to work on pay off in the long run, stuff like eating healthy. At first I wasn’t taking that serious, but now, I realize you’ve got to take care of it while you can.”