Initial grades of the 18 UM players at the combine. Who is going to be the "steal" of the draft?
This link from the NFL has the initial grades of the 18 UM players.
https://www.nfl.com/combine/tracker/participants/all-positions/michigan/
I think, Michael Barrett is ranked too low. He will be an excellent special team and above average occassional LB. He does not have the size but should have decent speed. Someone will pick him up in the last round and he will stick around for many years.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:34 PM ^
Trente Jones: 6.21 (6th)
Karsen Barnhart 5.64 (17th)
I know this all worked out, but what were we doing here man.
February 27th, 2024 at 6:50 PM ^
Winning National Championships?
February 27th, 2024 at 11:32 PM ^
With Trente Jones as a starter
February 28th, 2024 at 2:03 AM ^
Trente was better than Karsen this year, and also projects much better in the NFL with his athleticism. Makes sense to me.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:05 PM ^
Guess JJ is participating at the Combine, but Caleb and Jayden aren't? I think this is a great decision. He's gonna be impressive and perhaps a chance to move up even higher...to 3rd QB? Can't wait to see him and others.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:13 PM ^
Or ... the Chargers trade Herbert to the Bears to move up to #1 and select JJ. WOTS is the Chargers' HC is a big fan of JJ, says he's the best in the draft.
I kid, I kid.
More realistic: Seattle moves up to take him? Also based on HC's familiarity with him.
February 27th, 2024 at 8:14 PM ^
That would certainly get the chargers out of cap hell. I'd even throw in Bosa.
February 28th, 2024 at 9:04 AM ^
My wish is the Commanders trade back and grav JJ and Zinter with extra picks.
February 27th, 2024 at 8:58 PM ^
I've got JJ going to the Broncos - then having a really tough time rooting against them playing my Chiefs. That would be horrible for me...but really good for him. As long as he can sit his 1st year & develop under Sean Payton.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:11 PM ^
No running back in the mock 50. Amazing how RBs have been progressively devalued over the years.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:32 PM ^
It depends more on the draft class. There were 2 taken in the top 12 last year. It's not the 80's for sure, but if you get an elite talent coming out, he's still going to go pretty high. The desperation of teams to draft qb's causes a lot of swings and misses. Marvin Harrison Jr is the best player in the draft IMO. I hate it, but barring injury I don't see how he's not going to be a major factor in the NFL.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:11 PM ^
Messed around with that site and pulled up the all-time best results in the different 'events' - sure we all remember DJ Turner's blazing 40 time, but there are a number of Michigan guys scattered everywhere.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:13 PM ^
I think in order to define a “steal”, we’ll have to wait and see what the draft results are. I think all of them are good and all will be starters, so the only way to distinguish a steal is where they go in the draft. I’d put all of our O-line guys at the top of the list but if you’re looking for a more splashy find, it’s gonna be Mcgregor or Harrell.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:33 PM ^
To each their own, but why the hell did McGregor declare? I would almost guarantee he'd go higher next year after being the feature end for a season
February 27th, 2024 at 6:40 PM ^
Hence why I think he’s a steal. 4th on the team in sacks but only 2 sacks behind the leader. He’s disruptive and plays angry. He might not have been given the majority of minutes, but he did a lot with the time he was given.
February 28th, 2024 at 7:14 AM ^
My thought (without knowing him) is that he’s already won a Natty. His goal is to be an NFL DE. So going to the draft gets him closer to that goal (at least in his mind) than coming back. Nothing left to accomplish (in his mind) at school.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:15 PM ^
If drafted, Karsen Barnhart will go low, and could be another Michael Schofield. Who'd have guessed he'd stick around the league for 10 years?
February 27th, 2024 at 5:51 PM ^
I did. Uber-talented linemen are nice, but meaningless if they don’t know what they’re doing, which is often.
After the GM pisses away the draft picks, a lot of teams are looking for a Schofield who (by NFL standards) is barely strong and quick enough to survive but won’t run by the guy he’s supposed to block.
February 27th, 2024 at 6:01 PM ^
So you're saying I'm right? Low pick/UDFA with the tools for a journeyman's career.
February 27th, 2024 at 6:18 PM ^
Well I don’t necessarily know if Barnhart is that guy. I don’t remember his UFR profile being Schofield-esque.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:51 PM ^
Looks like 5 or 6 guys might have benefitted from staying 1 more year. Mostly guys we anticipated. Trente being the exception.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:17 PM ^
Unless he's a top 5 pick, I think JJ will be the steal of the draft.
February 28th, 2024 at 10:34 AM ^
So he'd be a steal at #6?
February 27th, 2024 at 5:23 PM ^
Colson's grade seems to show the value of "measurables." Wallace seems to be well-regarded. Henderson's pre-draft assessment from last year seems overly favorable in retrospect. (I'm still glad Michigan got him ... and Wallace.)
February 27th, 2024 at 5:30 PM ^
Where are all the jabronis who claimed last summer that Joe Milton would be a first-round pick and go higher than J.J.?
February 27th, 2024 at 5:35 PM ^
Sainristil's "weaknesses" are uh.... not something I agree with.
Requires more seasoning? He had like 6 INTs and never got torched in coverage to my recollection. He played better in 2 seasons at CB than most do in 4 seasons.
Needs to get his head around faster in man? Again, when did he get hit with a DPI or miss an interceptable ball because he didn't turn his head?
Just weird.
February 28th, 2024 at 2:01 AM ^
He did get got 3 times in the National Championship. Two coverage busts that allowed for deep down field completion opportunities to Odunze and a PI on McMillian.
But yeah, in general, I don't agree with those comments either.
February 28th, 2024 at 5:33 AM ^
It's not like you have to reach too far if you're looking for negatives. Just say "he's small" and move on. He's basically perfect in every other regard.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:38 PM ^
Kris Jenkins is going to play in the league for a long time IMO. He fits well in multiple fronts.
February 27th, 2024 at 8:25 PM ^
Jenkins’ grade is a result of playing next to two special beasts who are underclassmen. He hurt his draft grade simply by playing next to two guys I’d draft in Rd1 this year if they were eligible in Mason and Kenny G. He was supposed to be the star in the line but got outshined by those two and, to an extent, Harrell’s really solid year as a run defender and all around game.
Corum’s really being knocked by his knee injury. He improved all year, as we saw in the CFP a glimpse of who he was pre-Illinois hit job. He’s got a chance to be a starter/co-starter on plenty of teams. R2/3 grade.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:44 PM ^
So basically if you have a good combine you move up, bad combine down?
February 27th, 2024 at 5:57 PM ^
Roman Wilson will be the steal of the draft.
February 27th, 2024 at 6:02 PM ^
The combine is probably the worst tool GMs have for identifying quality players. Except for the ability to interview folks and get an accurate 40 time, you will learn nothing there about who is actually good at football. The combine (along with Jets management) is responsible for most of the "what the hell" picks in memory.
If you want to dig up hidden gems, watch tape; if you want to measure your putative gems against more known qualities, go to the Shrine or Senior Bowl; if you want to find out which WR should have been an Olympic long jumper, go to the combine.
February 27th, 2024 at 6:04 PM ^
The Ringer just compared JJ McCarthy to Kork Coupons. I don't know what to do with that.
February 27th, 2024 at 9:37 PM ^
Character guy who has had a long career as a top 10 or 15 starter, good but not elite tools, makes the right plays, a guy that can start and win games for a playoff contender but isn't going to win a SB on his own?
I can see it. That's complimentary, IMO; remember, he's comparing JJ to NFL Cousins, not what Cousins was at MSU.
February 27th, 2024 at 6:09 PM ^
When James Turner kicks the winner in the Super Bowl, please remember this post
February 27th, 2024 at 6:10 PM ^
And this is why I fall into the camp that stats can say whatever you want them too and should simply be considered a data point. Increasingly our society relies on shot like this to make important decisions and then shrug when it doesn’t go the way people though. But shrugs hey we get it right more than not . End of rant but also get of my lawn.
February 27th, 2024 at 6:11 PM ^
Nix over McCarthy is a joke. Nix is 3 years older! In Bo's age 20 season he went for 12 TDs/7 INTs with under 60% completions. Compared to JJ going for 22/5 and completing well over 70%. Oh, and quarterbacking a team to an undefeated championship season.
February 27th, 2024 at 7:04 PM ^
Henderson might have screwed himself a bit by coming back another year. He's not a tackle and there's a lot of bad tape of him at tackle this year. Seemed like his draft prospects were much higher last year
February 28th, 2024 at 5:38 AM ^
Maybe, but it might also be beneficial for him to show experience at multiple positions. NFL teams love OL who can rapidly move between interior and tackle in a pinch. I think he wanted to put that ability on tape, or a list try to. Worst case he's in the same position as last year, where he's only draftable as a guard. Best case he's plausible at one more position and moves up accordingly.
February 28th, 2024 at 7:18 AM ^
Screwed himself by coming back?
Henderson heard that, looked up, then looked back down and continued polishing his Natty ring. 😂
February 27th, 2024 at 7:04 PM ^
The way I hear it, exactly 0 NFL teams draft by Combine scoring or by ESPN/PFF scouting reports. Every single team has their own evaluations of players.
With that in mind, I think of these kinds of things as either ragebait or puff pieces.
If any NFL team thinks they can train Junior Colsom to consistently run in the right direction, they’ll have a good one on their hands
February 27th, 2024 at 7:10 PM ^
Cornelius Johnson is our most underrated prospect. I think he'll be a solid WR2 in the NFL.
Other underrated guys: McGregor, Barner, Wallace, Harrell, Barrett.
February 27th, 2024 at 7:16 PM ^
These grades are pointless. It’s not like nfl teams are using these for anything.
February 27th, 2024 at 7:24 PM ^
Josh Wallace should donate a decent % of his NFL career salary to Michigan's NIL program, nobody would have had him drafted a year ago.
February 27th, 2024 at 7:49 PM ^
Bill Belichick probably would have.
February 27th, 2024 at 7:49 PM ^
Trente and Braiden.
February 27th, 2024 at 7:59 PM ^
Im gonna say McGregor, because Zeirelin has his ceiling as average backup or special teams, and I think he is still rising. I will assume he continues to improve and becomes a starter.
My runner up is Corum.
February 27th, 2024 at 8:15 PM ^
Lance Zierlein is one person. He wrote all those evals. Why would anyone trust just one guy’s draft grades?
February 27th, 2024 at 8:28 PM ^
We will have a ton of day 3 picks. AJ Barner and Karsen Barnhart will be steals. Just rock solid football players who will contribute and have long careers.