Mel Kiper breaks down potential of Michigan prospects in NFL
Coming off a national championship season, the Michigan Wolverines have plenty of talent moving on to the NFL. That class of talent is highlighted by quarterback JJ McCarthy. However, it’s still a deep group behind him.
ESPN’s NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper broke down the potential for that group of Michigan prospects in the NFL.
“They have a lot of guys who are draftable,” Mel Kiper said. “How many guys will get actually drafted? How many will become LA Chargers? What’s the over-under you’d put on that? Would it be three, three and a half, two and a half? It’ll be interesting how many Jim [Harbaugh] brings into the fold.”
New Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, of course, was the head coach at Michigan last season. He openly praises his college players and it’s easy to imagine him drafting more than one of them this year.
With that in mind, Kiper kept looking at the Michigan players, looking for a logical second Wolverine off the board after McCarthy.
“Mike Sainristil is a guy that Jim’s always loved and he’s in that third-round mix for nickel or slot corner. So, he would be one. But I think when you look at the guy after JJ. Who’s the next guy? It would have, I think, been Zak Zinter but he had the injury, the guard who is a heck of a player. Kris Jenkins, just because of the fact that he does the job against the run. He’ll give you some penetration. He’ll get after the quarterback on occasion. So, I think he’s in that second-round mix. A 300-pounder who is very athletic. So, I would say Junior Colson, off-ball linebacker, little underrated as well,” Kiper said.
“Sainristil still could be, but I’d say making Jenkins. I would have said Zinter if it had not been for the injury. Roman Wilson, you can’t overlook him. He ran 4.39. Senior Bowl week, everything he did production-wise with JJ there. Blake Corum. The running backs usually get pushed down a bit but he’s in that mix to be an early day three type of guy. Lot of players there. No question about it. Trente Jones as a late-round guy. Tackle, can kick inside. I think Jaylen Harrell, [Braiden] McGregor, [Michael] Barrett, those guys.”
The record for players drafted in a single draft from one school since the draft went to seven rounds is 15, which Georgia accomplished in 2022. Kiper doesn’t know if Michigan will pass that number, but there are plenty of guys who could get drafted.
“So, they’re gonna get a lot of draftable players. Will they break that record or not? Who knows? [Karsen] Barnhart could get drafted, the tight end, but I’d say right now if I had to bet on it right now, maybe Jenkins is the second Michigan Wolverine, after JJ, with the guys I mentioned like Wilson and Sainristil and Zinter kind of in that mix as well.”