Senior defensive end Kwity Paye and redshirt sophomore right tackle Jalen Mayfield are unanimously viewed as the Michigan Wolverines' two best football prospects heading into April's NFL Draft.

There are a slew of other Michigan Men who are heavily expected to be drafted (wideout Nico Collins, linebacker Cameron McGrone, cornerback Ambry Thomas, etc.), and then there is an echelon of players below that group who are viewed as fringe prospects.

RELATED: Is Michigan's Next Running Back Great on the Roster?

RELATED: Wolverine TV: Haskins, Hawkins & Hutchinson on Start of Spring Ball, More

Fullback Ben Mason, running back Chris Evans and defensive lineman Carlo Kemp fit that description to a t. ESPN's Mel Kiper appeared on a conference call with reporters last week to discuss Michigan's high-end prospects (Paye, Mayfield, etc.) and where he thinks they may land, but focused on the lower-tier players this time around.

He weighed in once again on Paye briefly today before discussing Evans and Mason, specifically. A reporter asked Kiper about the class of edge rushers as a whole in this year's draft, and Paye was unsurprisingly one of the first names he mentioned.

Kiper tabbed Miami (FL)'s Jaelan Phillips as "the best pure pass rusher in the draft," before next mentioning Oklahoma's Ronnie Perkins and then finally Paye.

"He will be a freakish talent coming out of Michigan" was how Kiper described the Wolverine defensive end. Texas' Joseph Ossai and Penn State's Jayson Oweh were the final two pass rushers the ESPN expert singled out among his top group, though he tabbed the latter as a "boom or bust" prospect.

Unfortunately, fullback has become a bit of a dying breed in football as a whole, in Mason's case. The Newtown, Conn., native made a minimal impact from a rushing/receiving standpoint this past season (no rushes and just two catches for 17 yards), though his blocking abilities could still land him on an NFL roster.

"Ben Mason is the throwback," Kiper exclaimed. "He’s the fullback teams don’t necessarily use anymore, though some do. He’s the best pure fullback [in this draft]. If you’re talking about the [former Dallas Cowboys fullback] Moose Johnston days, Mason isn’t the runner he was.

"Johnston was one of the greatest fullbacks of all time. In terms of blocking and doing things to help your team and your running back, then I’d take Ben Mason in the right system. Oklahoma's Rhamondre Stevenson is someone I have in fullback mode but he’s more of a big back, though he could fill a role there as well.

"If you’re looking for the traditional old-school throwback fullback, it would be Ben Mason.”

Kiper's analysis of Evans wasn't quite as positive, with the Indianapolis native carrying 16 times for just 73 yards in 2020. His biggest impact in the winged helmet came during his freshman and sophomore seasons of 2016 and 2017, respectively, before injuries derailed his 2018 campaign and an off-the-field suspension kept him out of the 2019 season entirely.

“Evans showed flashes," Kiper admitted. "When he was out there, you saw signs that maybe he could be a guy to help a team as a two or a three [option at running back] — not as a star, but as a backup third guy.

"I still think he can do that. There are some really good running backs in that fourth or fifth-round area, and I’d say he’ll drop in the late rounds or go as a priority free agent. I think he can make a football team.”

If Evans doesn't get selected (which, again, he's not necessarily expected to), it will continue a disturbing trend of Michigan failing to produce running backs who hear their names called during the NFL Draft.

The last Wolverine running back taken was Mike Hart in 2008. Prior to him, U-M rushers coming off the board was commonplace throughout the early 2000s, 1990s and 1980s.

• 2008 — Mike Hart (6th round by the Indianapolis Colts)

• 2004 — Chris Perry (1st round by the Cincinnati Bengals)

• 2001 — Anthony Thomas (2nd round by the Chicago Bears)

• 1998 — Chris Howard (5th round by the Denver Broncos)

• 1996 — Tim Biakabutuka (1st round by the Carolina Panthers)

• 1995 — Tyrone Wheatley (1st round by the New York Giants)

• 1991 — Tony Boles (11th round by the Dallas Cowboys)

• 1991 — Jon Vaughn (5th round by the New England Patriots)

• 1990 — Leroy Hoard (2nd round by the Cleveland Browns)

• 1988 — Jamie Morris (4th round by the Washington Redskins)

---

• Talk about this article inside The Fort

• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel

• Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine

• Sign up for our daily newsletter and breaking news alerts

• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW, @AustinFox42, @JB_ Wolverine, Clayton Sayfie and @DrewCHallett

• Like us on Facebook