Gary, Bush Can Join Elite U-M Company If They Go In The Draft's First Round
Michigan defensive end Rashan Gary and linebacker Devin Bush are both expected to be chosen in the first round of this week's NFL draft, which will place each of them in elite U-M company.
Believe it or not, only four Wolverine defensive ends have ever been taken in the first round of the NFL draft (an event that began in 1936), while just three linebackers have heard their names called during the event's opening round.
In honor of the company Gary and Bush could potentially join this week, we've taken a look back at the seven U-M defensive ends and linebackers who have come off the board in the first round, and provided a quick recap of how their professional careers went/are currently going.
We begin with the defensive ends…
| Year | Player | Pick (Team) |
|---|---|---|
|
1980 |
Curtis Greer |
No. 6 (Cardinals) |
|
2010 |
Brandon Graham |
No. 13 (Eagles) |
|
1985 |
Kevin Brooks |
No. 17 (Cowboys) |
|
2017 |
Taco Charlton |
No. 28 (Cowboys) |
Curtis Greer (Played in the NFL from 1980-87)
Greer played at Michigan from 1976-79, and was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the sixth overall pick in the 1980 NFL draft.
He spent his entire eight-year NFL career (1980-87) in St. Louis, and racked up 16 sacks in 1983 and 14 in 1984, the latter of which earned him second-team All-NFC honors.
Greer missed the entire 1986 campaign with a knee injury though, and eventually retired following the 1987 season due to the ailment.
The Detroit native concluded his NFL career with 50.5 sacks and started 79 of the 94 games he played in.
Brandon Graham (2010-Present)
Graham was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 13th overall pick in the 2010 draft, and is still enjoying a successful career with them.
He has racked up 317 tackles and 42.5 sacks during his nine years with the club, highlighted by a career-best 9.5-sack campaign in 2017.
Graham is best-known, however, for his sack and forced fumble of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 52, which helped the Eagles seal a 41-33 victory.
The 31-year old recently made headlines in March when he signed a $40 million extension that will keep him with the Eagles through 2021.
Kevin Brooks (1985-90)
Brooks spent the first four years of his NFL career with Dallas after they selected him 17th overall in 1985, tallying 12.5 sacks while starting 26 of the 48 games he played in there.
He was then traded to the Denver Broncos in the spring of 1989, but released before the campaign got underway.
The Detroit Lions then signed him that September, and he played the 1989 season and the first half of 1990 with them, before being waived in November.
Brooks ended his pro career with 15.5 sacks and started 45 of the 69 contests he appeared in.
Taco Charlton (2017-Present)
Charlton has spent each of his first two years with Dallas after they selected him 28th overall in 2017, but his pro career has not taken off the way many hoped it would.
He showed plenty of promise as a rookie in 2017 when he played in all 16 games and recorded three sacks, but seemed to regress in 2018.
Charlton only competed in 11 games this past year (due to a combination of injuries and coaches' decision to sit him), and only posted one sack.
Through two seasons, the Ohio native has started seven of the 27 contests he has competed in and has accumulated four quarterback takedowns.
| Year | Player | Pick (Team) |
|---|---|---|
|
1981 |
Mel Owens |
No. 9 (Rams) |
|
1972 |
Mike Taylor |
No. 20 (Jets) |
|
1978 |
John Anderson |
No. 26 (Packers) |
Mel Owens (1981-89)
He spent his entire nine-year career with the Los Angeles Rams after they selected him ninth overall in the 1981 NFL draft.
Owens played sparingly his first two seasons in the pros, but then saw his career take off in 1983 when he became a full-time starter.
From 1983-87, he started 75 of the 76 games he played in, a stretch that was highlighted by an honorable mention All-Pro accolade in 1986.
Owens' NFL career concluded with 453 tackles, 26.5 sacks and four interceptions following his retirement in 1989.
Mike Taylor (1972-73)
Taylor played just two seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets after he was selected 20th overall in the 1972 draft, following consensus All-American honors at Michigan in 1971.
He started five of 14 games as a rookie in 1972, but just three of eight the following year.
Taylor then departed the NFL in May of 1974 when he signed a contract with the Detroit Wheels of the World Football League — he played one season with them in 1974 before the league ceased in '75.
The 69-year old's NFL career wrapped up with just eight starts in 22 games played.
John Anderson (1978-89)
He enjoyed a successful 12-year NFL tenure with the Green Bay Packers that culminated with 1980s Second-Team All-Decade recognition, as well as a spot in the Packers' Hall of Fame (inducted in 1996).
Anderson's pro career began with a bang, landing on the All-Rookie Team in 1978 after he picked off five passes and racked up 102 tackles in 13 games played that year.
When his career was all said and done, the Wisconsin native participated in 146 games (with 140 starts) and racked up 1,020 tackles, 15 fumble recoveries and 25 interceptions.
Anderson's 1,020 stops tie him with A.J. Hawk (2005-14) for the most in Packers history.
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