RELATED: NFL Analyst Breaks Down Draft Outlook for Higdon and Gentry
RELATED: Draft Analyst Breaks Down Outlook for U-M's top Defensive NFL Prospects
It was revealed today that six Wolverines had been invited to the 2019 NFL combine that will take place from Feb. 26 through March 4 in Indianapolis — linebacker Devin Bush, defensive end Rashan Gary, tight end Zach Gentry, running back Karan Higdon, cornerback David Long and defensive end Chase Winovich.
The fact that all six of the aforementioned players were invited was not a surprise, but there were also a few notable omissions from graduating Maize and Blue players who served contributing roles in 2018, such as wide receiver Grant Perry, right tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty, defensive tackles Bryan Mone and Lawrence Marshall, cornerback Brandon Watson and safety Tyree Kinnel.
U-M's six invitees were the fourth most in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State's 10, Wisconsin's eight and Penn State's seven.
Michigan had just two players selected in last year's NFL draft — center Mason Cole in the third round and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst in the fifth round — but will likely see all six combine invitees taken this time around, along with perhaps one or two others.
TheWolverine spoke with NationalFootballPost.com NFL draft expert Dion Caputi last week to get his take on each of the invitees heading into the NFL draft and beyond, beginning with…
Devin Bush
"He's a little undersized from a height standpoint but doesn't lack in bulk, so I think he'll be physically stout enough for the NFL game — he's probably capable of it already," Caputi noted.
"His athleticism and mobility sideline to sideline makes him a far more appealing linebacker than just your average replacement level prospect. I think Bush is a first round talent, and will go to someone within the first 50 picks. When it's all said and done, he'll make a team happy because he can be used in a variety of ways.
"I'm excited by his prospects, because he's a modern player who will thrive in different ways, due to his natural skill set and the fact that he's a gifted defender.
"He'll have a lot of opportunities early in his NFL career because he's simply too talented to keep on the bench."
Rashan Gary
"He can be a defensive end in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 base front, because he has a lot of positional versatility — some people may consider him a tweener in that sense, but I see it as versatility," the analyst explained.
"When considering what he can be at the next level, I think the best fit for him is on a team who understands he has the ability to play both inside and outside. In terms of where he can go, I don't think he's a top-three or top-five player because he's not yet a finished product, so I think he has a lot more to give and more untapped ability he'll achieve at the next level.
"For the time being, I think he's a top-10 pick. If he does manage to escape the top-10, it would be shocking to me, and it would be a gift for someone outside that range.
"There's just too much natural ability for him not to go within the first 10 picks."
Zach Gentry
"I think Gentry's best football is ahead of him, because he’s such an imposing athlete with plus movement skills for his frame," Caputi said. "He'll appeal to a lot of teams due to being 6-8 with tremendous length, and should be a bit of a terror in one-on-one matchups in the red zone.
"Gentry has also shown some raw ability in the passing game, and despite the lack of top-end production from a touchdowns perspective, has proven he can be a terror over the middle and in the open field. He is a size mismatch for any linebacker or safety, and will put his best football on display at the next level as he continues to grow into the position and into his frame.
"I think Gentry is a Day 3 prospect right now with a lot of upside. The story is still out on what he can be at the NFL level, but when you see an athlete with his size, your mouth waters a little bit with the ideas of what he can be molded into.”
Karan Higdon
“The only gray area from Higdon’s evaluation was that he wasn’t used very often as a receiver at Michigan,” the analyst noted. “He was a relied-upon starter the last two years, and yet only had 15 receptions and didn’t do much from a receiving standpoint — he just wasn’t used much in that regard.
"Higdon is a between-the-tackles guy who can get to the edges, but the real question I want to see answered in Indianapolis is whether or not he has natural hands. Can he catch the ball effectively in traffic? I want to know what kind of receiver he can be — those are questions that will be answered there, because you can tell pretty quickly if a player has natural hands or not.
"Some of the good running back prospects the past few years who were untested in that regard were put to the sword at the combine. I’m curious to see where he is in that process, because that’s the ultimate test to show whether or not he can be a useful receiver out of the backfield.
“If he is able to be, it would really help his stock and would diversify his value. That’s something he’ll need to display at the combine if he wants to get into the Day 2 type of buzz, because he’s a Day 3 guy right now, albeit with a lot of upside. I think someone will be very happy with what they’re getting in the fourth or fifth round range.”
David Long
"Long's combine will be an influential element to his evaluation," Caputi admitted. "He's your garden variety cornerback from a physical standpoint at that 5-11, 200-pound range, though I think he'll measure in a little smaller and a little lighter than that.
"Long is a very tenacious cornerback who is a bit untested from a tackling perspective — I don't think I've seen many opportunities where he was able to put that on display though. He plays a physical man defense, is physical in man coverage when asked to be, and has an ultimately pretty game in zone coverage when it's required.
"Long also made the most of his opportunities when thrown at, and had a couple long returns off interceptions in 2017. I don't know where I'd project him at this point, however, because it's constantly a fluid evaluation. It's not a draft where there is an anchor or two at the top in terms of a top-end talent perspective, so there is plenty of opportunity for guys to move around the board in the pre-draft process.
"I'm excited to see where he can wind up, and I think his combine evaluations will be very important, because he wasn't able to participate in any of the senior festivities."
Chase Winovich
"There's a lot more appeal in Chase Winovich than some people care to buy into," the expert explained. "He has a natural pass-rushing ability, and I know some people question how that'll translate to the next level, whether or not he has enough dynamism in his movement, and if he's fluid enough to be a stand-up 3-4 edge rusher.
"For me, the answers are yes, yes, and yes. I don't have many questions about his athleticism and I think he'll hold his own in that regard, especially seeing as how he's a former tight end.
"I don't know if he's a first rounder, because you'd like to see a little more production out of first round pass-rushers. I think he's a guy who will go in the second or third round — on the high end — and won't have a carved out role early in his NFL career.
"The NFL is obviously so in favor and enamored with pass rushers, so he'll definitely have his opportunities."
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