Recapping every Michigan NFL Draft prospect's profile
Michigan will send another healthy helping of talent to the NFL Draft with nine prospects profiled here at The Wolverine. The class is headlined by pass rush dynamo Aidan Hutchinson, who could be the first player off the board.
Michigan at one point was thought to have three first-round prospects before EDGE David Ojabo tore his Achilles at pro day. Hutchinson and Daxton Hill are the two Michigan players who should hear their names called the earliest during the event.
Here are tidbits from each Michigan draft profile we did with links to the full rundowns attached.
Michigan EDGE rusher Aidan Hutchinson
Profile: When a team picks at the top of the draft, it has to be sure that it is adding a blue chip prospect. Hutchinson may be (to some) a notch below some of the elite pass rush prospects that have come out in recent memory. There could be some validity to that, but few have been as ready for the NFL right out of the box. The chance to go No. 1 overall should speak volumes on how his standing compares to the rest of the class.
With Hutchinson, it is not hard to imagine him being one of the captains on defense and someone whose presence alone raises the level of play of everyone around them. He is a high-motor, high-character, high-floor prospect that burns to win and beat the guy across from him. Time will tell if he rounds into a Pro Bowler or not, but whoever selects him should have a good 10-year starter. What has been set at Michigan is a good baseline. Now, he has a shot to be the straw that stirs the drink elsewhere.
Safety Daxton Hill
Profile: Some will look at the stat sheet and wonder why Hill was not more productive at Michigan. When looking back on it – and when front offices put on the film – his stock has risen this offseason. Safeties that are as athletic as he is and fit the run as well as he does do not grow on trees. He has a shot to be a versatile defender on the backend of a defense for a long time.
Should Hill come off the board in the first round, it likely will be to a playoff team. He has everything in his toolbox to be a plus defender at the next level. The clock on him seems to be starting around the No. 20 overall pick. If he lasts into the second round, one would think he would be one of the first players off the board. He has a legitimate case for No. 2-ranked safety behind Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton.
EDGE David Ojabo
Profile: Prior to his Achilles injury, some out there believe there was a chance he had a ceiling to be more disruptive than Hutchinson in the NFL. He still could be and has a knack for creating turnovers. This was always going to be a redshirt year for him in the pros with the original plan likely just unleashing him as a pass-rush specialist. Barring a miraculous recovery, that probably does not happen now. His learning will have to come off the field against the backdrop of a rehab process.
Ojabo on talent alone is one of the best EDGE rushers in the class, but his injury has knocked him down boards. But not off completely. He was a fringe-top ten pick prior to his injury and now projects to fall somewhere into the second round. There is a chance someone at the back-half of the first grabs him in order to a secure a fifth-year option and more time for him to develop with his new franchise. When he gets healthy, he has the floor of a designated pass rusher with a ceiling of a dominant and disruptive Pro Bowl EDGE.
Running back Hassan Haskins
Profile: Haskins suffered an ankle injury in the Orange Bowl and has not done a ton of pre-draft work on the field this spring. He was invited to the Senior Bowl but pulled out to rehab the injury. He only did the bench press at the NFL Combine and there were no reported testing numbers from Michigan’s pro day. Haskins’ draft stock has taken a hit because of it, but teams need only put on the tape to see what they are getting.
If you want him to go run through a defender, he has it covered? Pass protection? He does well in that area. Special teams? Haskins did it at Michigan. A lack of burst and home run ability hurts him, but he is a lunch-pail player that would do well as a second running back in a rotation. Haskins is the consummate Jim Harbaugh running back and a lot of what he does should translate to the next level. When you get into the middle rounds, it becomes all about fit. Haskins probably translates best to a power/gap scheme and a role that sees him primarily running between the tackles. He can handle whatever comes his way and will quickly endear himself to the team that adds him to the rotation.
Offensive lineman Andrew Stueber
Profile: Stueber feels like a right tackle prospect, but he has the attitude and competitive toughness to find a role wherever he goes. Most line coaches should be okay with some of his athletic limitations. Even Michigan helped him out here with tight ends chipping in the run game.
Stueber has taken steps this offseason to improve his standing. He cut about 15 pounds since the end of the season and has taken that seriously. He does seem like he would fit the best playing for someone that runs a power/gap scheme. Stueber is at his best when tasked with simply mauling what is in front of him.
Stueber brings good technique, a high football IQ and a mean streak to the next level. That alone warrants consideration as a developmental prospect. He has a road to being a starter down the road with the position to be determined. At the very least, he should be able to stick as a key reserve lineman with some swing potential. Stueber is rock solid and should be able to stick on a roster somewhere.
Michigan’s other potential draftees
Linebacker Josh Ross | Cornerback Vincent Gray | Safety Brad Hawkins | Wide receiver Daylen Baldwin
When will Michigan players get drafted?
The 2022 NFL Draft will be held from April 28-30 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first round is set for Thursday night with second and third rounds taking place Friday. The event concludes on Saturday with rounds four through seven. The event will be broadcast via ESPN and NFL Network.
