David Long became the fourth Wolverine selected in this year’s NFL draft when he was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round with the No. 79 overall pick.
Michigan saw linebacker Devin Bush (No. 10 to the Steelers) and Rashan Gary (No. 12 to the Packers) come off the board in Round 1, in addition to defensive end Chase Winovich (No. 77 to the New England Patriots) who went two picks before Long.
The 5-11, 198-pounder came to Michigan from Los Angeles as a four-star cornerback and the No. 81 overall player in the country out of high school, and went on to enjoy an outstanding three-year career in Ann Arbor.
He played in just four games as a freshman in 2016, but then emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the country as a full-time starter in 2017.
Long recorded two picks and eight passes defended as a sophomore, before racking up nine passes defended and another pick this past season en route to first-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches.
The California native’s final stat line at Michigan saw him start 26 of the 30 games he played in and rack up 38 tackles, two stops behind the line of scrimmage, three interceptions and 17 passes defended.
"I like this player, and I think he has a chance to be a starter in the NFL," ESPN's Todd McShay said once Long was picked. "He doesn’t have great measurables — 5-10.5, 196 pounds — but ran a solid 4.45 in the 40. You watch the tape on this guy, and he has instincts.
"Michigan relies on its corners to hold up in man-to-man coverage in Don Brown's defense, and does so over and over again. Long's pass defense efficiency numbers were elite, and were as good as you’re going to see at the college level.
"He also has really good body control and an understanding of reading routes. If you’re going to be a good press-man corner with 30-inch arms, you better have a great feel and he has it.
"Long isn't a huge ballhawk, but I think he’s going to develop into a good No. 2 or No. 3 corner in the NFL, and is the kind of guy the Rams need."
"They need man-to-man cover players in L.A., with Marcus Peters' and Aqib Talib’s contracts coming up," ESPN's Louis Riddick added. "Long is one of the best press corners, which is exactly what Michigan's specialty was."
The ESPN crew wasn't the only ones enamored with Long, however, as a trio of NFL Network analysts offered high praise as well.
"“I think he’s going to wind up being a nickel inside," Daniel Jeremiah projected upon his selection. "L.A. lost Lamarcus Joyner in the offseason, so I think that’s where he’ll wind up playing.”
“He was in your face in man-to-man almost the entire time he was at Michigan," expert Joel Klatt chimed in. "Long has great ball skills and understands route concepts, though he can get a little aggressive at the top of routes and drop with his hands.
"He is just an uber aggressive guy who won’t shy away from the one-on-one coverage, particularly in the middle of the field. He was also sub-4 in the short shuttle."
“I was told he understands what everyone is doing and how it fits together for the defense," Charles Davis concluded. "He knows when he has opportunities to gamble and make plays on the ball.”
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