ESPN 7-round mock draft has 16 Michigan players drafted
Matt Miller from ESPN came out with a full 7-round mock draft this morning, and it included Michigan setting the record with 16 selections:
1st Round: JJ at 4th overall to Denver via trade
2nd Round: Roman, Mikey (to the Ravens of course), and Jenkins
3rd Round: Colson and Zinter
4th Round: Corum (to the Chargers of course)
6th Round: McGregor, Nugent, Keegan, Barrett, Cornelius, Harrell, and Trente
7th Round: Henderson and Barner
So only combine invitees not selected would be Barnhart and Josh Wallace.
Here's the link but it's paywalled: https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2024/insider/story/_/id/39806887/2024-nfl-mock-draft-matt-miller-seven-rounds-257-picks-predictions
SUCK it BAMA and GEORGIA!
...also SUCK it OSU who's currently #2 on the list at 14...
Also
Interested to see where Zinter ultimately gets drafted. I know PFF and some other sites have him in the 5th round, which seems a little low. That said I also think the 3rd might be a bit high.
Henderson in the 7th could be a steal after he gets moved back to G. Wasnt he considered a day 2 or 3 prospect after his last season at guard for ASU?
Regardless of which round Zinter goes in, the team who gets him is getting a huge steal. I think he should still go relatively high because he was healthy and had great endurance throughout college, and because the injury he sustained isn’t usually repeatable like ligament/muscle damage. Excited to watch him play when he gets back to full strength!
I also agree that if Henderson moves to a Guard spot, whoever gets him will also get a huge steal.
Zinter was always good right from the start as a true freshman. He is going to be an anchor on the interior for many years.
If someone gets Zinter in the 3rd they are going to look really smart after watching his ten year career.
Harbaugh will trade future 7th round picks into this draft to grab as many guys as possible just to raise the number.
Barner in the 7th round? Yeesh. If anyone gets him that late he'll be an absolute steal.
Barner was sort of awesome this year. It felt like he was as good as or better than Colston Loveland impact wise and people (on here) think Loveland is a future first rounder.
The Lions need a blocking tight end with some pass-catching ability since Brock Wright left. He'd be a perfect fit.
Hed be an exceptional UDFA for sure.
He is very good at both blocking and receiving. It's hard to believe he won't get drafted before the 7th round. Probably before the 6th.
March 28th, 2024 at 12:46 AM ^
If Luke Schoonmaker can get drafted as high as the 2nd round then AJ Barner can at least get drafted. I'm hoping the Lions scoop him up in the fifth or sixth. I doubt he makes it to the 7th.
Lions should take him with their running game. What a huge value add.
I'm biased, but I think Barner is a third rounder at worst. His blocking is that good, and he's versatile.
I may be biased but I think those guys all provide tremendous value at those spots and would be pretty happy with the Lions drafting any of those guys in those rounds.
I am NOT biased, but I think they should be the first 16 picks of the draft.
Also of note, since three of the players were one year transfers, the mock draft also includes Erick All and Joe Milton (and Eyabi Okie)
To me, Milton doesn't count since he transferred before this last 3 year run.
All and Okie were part of it, at least for 1 season.
March 29th, 2024 at 11:01 AM ^
Dude GRADUATED from Michigan and he doesn’t count? 😳🥶
why would Keegan be in the 6th round?
Feels like some of these guys are going to go higher than this
Yeah. This might be guesses based solely on their measurable performance levels But there was a lot of talk about the teams being impressed by how team oriented, well coached and professional the Michigan player were and how well they understood the game. That might well help get the lower rated guys a round bump.
March 29th, 2024 at 11:02 AM ^
Might be? Isn’t that what the draft is?😬🤪
Yeah. This might be guesses based solely on their measurable performance levels But there was a lot of talk about the teams being impressed by how team oriented, well coached and professional the Michigan player were and how well they understood the game. That might well help get the lower rated guys a round bump.
Probably not quite what you're thinking of but...
Kent Lee Platte/@MathBomb on twitter has his RAS metric
Cornelius Johnson scored a 9.42 which ranks as 185 out of 3188 WRs from 1988-2024.
Xavier Worthy, for what its worth, was a 9.41
March 29th, 2024 at 11:05 AM ^
But he can run really fast in a straight line so he’ll be a 1st rd pick.
Look at that list of the fastest 40’s ever at the combine, how many had careers in the NFL? Chris Johnson’s the best, John Ross, mehhh.
I feel like Keegan and CJ are a bit lower than they ought to be.
Especially CJ. He really blew the Combine numbers out of the water.
Yeah, didn't I see some graphic that his combine testing was like 99th percentile among WRs in the last......some number of years? I remember it vaguely enough that I didn't want to bring it up, but I feel like between eye-popping combine testing and his VERY high degree of intelligence that will be obvious in interviews, someone's going to want him way sooner than the 6th round.
March 28th, 2024 at 12:19 PM ^
Unfortunately our offense hurts WR production. So dings WRs. Same with JJ - if he was in LSU's offense he'd either be #1 overall or not but there would be way more data so he was not some great box of chocolates mystery.
Though we can't know how the draft will play out, the fact that so many Michigan players seem likely to be drafted is a testament to them, to Harbaugh, and to the Michigan program.
March 28th, 2024 at 12:20 PM ^
And (wait for it) ...NIL
A lot of guys came back to take care of 'unfinished business'
Most years another 4-5 of these guys would have left a year ago.
"Georgia holds the record for most NFL draft selections by a college in a single year since the NFL draft became seven rounds in 1994, setting the mark at 15 players in 2022."
You just know that if Michigan is sitting at 15 players when the Chargers on on the clock at pick #253, Jimmy is going to break that tie with a Michigan player.
There is a 0% chance he would do that if he thought another player would give him a better chance to win. That’s not who Harbaugh is.
Ok but how much will idiots online rage out if it happens? Harbaugh should do it just to cause a statistically significant spike in aneurysms in Ohio.
March 29th, 2024 at 11:15 AM ^
Oh noice! Great thinking. I mean whoever is there from M at that pick is as good or better risk than anyone else, so he BETTER do it.
Josh Wallace worked out well at Michigan. Seems like another quality athlete who can help some NFL team. Held his own against the best in college...
March 29th, 2024 at 11:28 AM ^
Seriously, the Lions signed Kildor the Terrible on Nov 14 and he started 3 games including one in which he assisted on a td pass off his face mask from Brock Purdy.
Josh Wallace has to be better for depth than some guy off the street.
Keegan in the 6th round seems like a big steal. Barner should be higher also very ready to contribute right away.
I'm a Bears fan, but I'm going to become a fan of whatever team drafts J.J. and Corum, and I will be rooting for all of these guys at the next level.
Harbaugh will trade into the seventh round to pick as many guys as he needs to for Michigan to break the record
March 27th, 2024 at 10:23 PM ^
Whoever grabs Jones in the 6th round would be getting a MASSIVE steal. He’s a fourth rounder if they start him all year.
March 28th, 2024 at 12:06 AM ^
The Chargers will select the last 5.
March 28th, 2024 at 12:10 AM ^
The Chargers have two 7th round picks. If Karsen Barnhart and Josh Wallace haven’t been selected yet, expect the Chargers to take them in the 7th.
I believe it means something to Harbaugh for as many kids from Michigan to get drafted as possible. Plus, I can see both of them playing in the NFL. Barnhart is going to be a great flexible interior Lineman, who can play Tackle in a pinch. Very valuable.
I can also see Wallace playing Special Teams and backing up as a Corner/Nickle. He’s a smart and experienced player who knows the game and has a tendency to catch on with teams.
March 28th, 2024 at 12:18 AM ^
Trente in the 6th? Some team is going to be VERY happy with that pick.
If Mikey goes to the Ravens I will die on the inside
March 28th, 2024 at 10:46 AM ^
The crazy part is there are probably another 8-10 players from the 2023 team who would be drafted or draftable if they came out (or were able to come out) this year. Three of those were high four stars or five stars in recruitment (Will Johnson, Donovan Edwards, Keon Sabb) and the rest are all guys that Michigan found, developed, and turned loose.