Next man up: Who will replace Michigan EDGEs Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo?

On3 imageby:Clayton Sayfie05/14/22

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(Photo by Lon Horwedel / TheWolverine.com)

Michigan Wolverines football had five players picked in the 2022 NFL Draft, led by defensive end Aidan Hutchinson at No. 2 overall to the Detroit Lions. The biggest task of the offseason for new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is figuring out a way to have a successful defense without Hutchinson and outside linebacker David Ojabo, who went No. 45 overall to the Baltimore Ravens. Minter said the defense won't look the same as it did last year under Mike Macdonald, who departed for the Ravens' coordinator job. They'll expect more pass rush out of the down lineman on the interior and potentially have to blitz more than a year ago (30.7 percent of the time, per Sports Info Solutions). However, being able to pressure the quarterback with a four-man rush remains extremely important in today's college football. That means there are big shoes to fill for some of the top options to start and receive playing time at defensive end for Michigan. We break down who's next in line, some dark horse options to make an impact, before making a pick on who's best fit for the role.