Most of the latest NFL mock draft projections have pegged a maximum of one Michigan Wolverine football player coming off the board in the draft's first round later this month, with that selection unanimously being center Cesar Ruiz.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler provided a bit of a shakeup in the seven-round mock draft he released today, however, not only projecting two Wolverines to go in the first round, but also predicting a U-M player to go higher than Ruiz.
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While Brugler tabbed Ruiz to come off the board at No. 31 overall to the San Francisco 49ers, he placed defensive end/linebacker Josh Uche four spots higher at No. 27 to the Seattle Seahawks.
"The Seahawks are always a wild card on draft day so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a stunner here like Wisconsin’s [running back] Jonathan Taylor," Brugler wrote. "But I’m going with Uche, who gives Seattle an explosive edge threat and a player just scratching the surface of his ability."
As for his take on Ruiz at No. 31 to San Francisco:
"With the 49ers not picking again until the fifth round, good bet they look to trade back (maybe for a team looking to trade up for [Utah State quarterback] Jordan Love?)" the writer explained.
"But if they stay put, upgrading the interior offensive line is on the priority list and Ruiz has big upside as a center-guard."
Brugler projected six more Wolverines to hear their names called from April 23-25, giving Michigan a total of eight selections (which would tie 1948 for the school's fifth best draft class of all time).
• OG Ben Bredeson (Cincinnati Bengals) — Fourth round, No. 107 overall
• WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (Cleveland Browns) — Fourth round, No. 115 overall
• S Josh Metellus (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) — Fifth round, No. 161 overall
• OT Jon Runyan (Buffalo Bills) — Sixth round, No. 188 overall
• OG Mike Onwenu (Minnesota Vikings) — Sixth round, No. 205 overall
• TE Sean McKeon (San Francisco 49ers) — Seventh round, No. 245 overall
There are two surprising Maize and Blue players Brugler left out of his mock draft, though, with the writer projecting both cornerback Lavert Hill and linebacker Khaleke Hudson to go undrafted (they have been unanimously included in other outlets' mock drafts).
The analyst also predicted three other Michigan draft hopefuls not to be selected, in defensive end Michael Danna, linebacker Jordan Glasgow and quarterback Shea Patterson.
If Uche and Ruiz both get taken in the opening round like Brugler is projecting, it will be just the 10th time in school history U-M has seen two of its players come off the board in the draft's first round (the event was created in 1936).
Additionally, Michigan has had multiple first round picks just five times since 1979.
The Nine Times Michigan has had Multiple First Round NFL Draft Picks:
2019 — 2 First Rounders
• LB Devin Bush (No. 10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers)
• DE Rashan Gary (No. 12 to the Green Bay Packers)
2017 — 2
• LB Jabrill Peppers (No. 25 to the Cleveland Browns)
• DE Taco Charlton (No. 28 to the Dallas Cowboys)
2005 — 2
• WR Braylon Edwards (No. 3 to the Cleveland Browns)
• CB Marlin Jackson (No. 29 to the Indianapolis Colts)
2001 — 3
• WR David Terrell (No. 8 to the Chicago Bears)
• OG Steve Hutchinson (No. 17 to the Seattle Seahawks)
• OT Jeff Backus (No. 18 to the Detroit Lions)
1995 — 3
• RB Tyrone Wheatley (No. 17 to the New York Giants)
• CB Ty Law (No. 23 to the New England Patriots)
• OT Trezelle Jenkins (No. 31 to the Kansas City Chiefs)
1978 — 2
• OT Mike Kenn (No. 13 to the Atlanta Falcons)
• LB John Anderson (No. 26 to the Green Bay Packers)
1972 — 2
• S Thom Darden (No. 18 to the Cleveland Browns)
• LB Mike Taylor (No. 20 to the New York Jets)
1945 — 2
• RB/TE Elroy Hirsch (No. 5 to the Cleveland Rams)
• FB Don Lund (No. 7 to the Chicago Bears)
1941 — 2
• RB Tom Harmon (No. 1 to the Chicago Bears)
• QB Forest Evashevski (No. 10 to the Washington Redskins)
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