Previewing Michigan football's prospects at the Senior Bowl

The 2022 Senior Bowl kicks off this week in Mobile, Alabama, which officially kicks off the road to the NFL Draft for a handful of Michigan Wolverines football prospects.

Running back Hassan Haskins and offensive lineman Andrew Stueber are the lone Michigan players in the event this year. They were both selected to play for the National Team, which is being coached this year by members of the New York Jets staff. The American Team is coached by the Detroit Lions.

The Senior Bowl is the most prominent college all-star game that takes place over the span of a week in front of NFL scouts, coaches and front offices. The event is run by Executive Director (and Michigan alum) Jim Nagy, who is a former NFL front office employee and talent evaluator. Nay also works as a draft analyst for ESPN.

Here is a look at some of the pertinent info for the week.

Hassan Haskins, running back (National Team)

Haskins is a projected mid-round pick in most early mocks ahead of the Senior Bowl. He ran for 1,327 yards and 20 touchdowns during his fourth season at Michigan in 2021.

Haskins proved he can handle a big workload and provides three-down value for NFL teams. He did not catch the ball a ton out of the backfield at Michigan (18 receptions for 131 yards) but is more than capable. He also is an asset on special teams and in pass protection. Haskins will give himself a chance to rise up draft boards in Mobile.

From Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy (Oct. 2021):

“When you look around the country, there are a lot of good backs out there. I really like his size. He’s that 220-plus pound back that the NFL really wants. We know he’s going to test well. That’s a challenge for picking rosters in November. We don’t have the benefit of seeing how these guys work out at the pro day or combine, but based on Hassan’s high school track stuff and him being a (6-foot-7) high jumper, we’ve got a pretty good idea that he’s going to do well in the spring.

“And then all the special teams stuff. I think that’s going to set him apart as well. Playing on the punt team like he’s done and run down there and covered, and doing a good job at it. He’s not just out there. He puts forth really good effort. He gets off blocks, makes tackles, and is disruptive. And then just being that big back. That guy can get tough yardage after contact. He’s got that profile that really works in the NFL, and as we see at that level on a weekly basis, those guys go down. That’s why the league puts such a value on size.

Andrew Stueber, offensive line (National Team)

Stueber, an All-American and All-Big Ten performer at right tackle in 2021, has also appeared as a mid-round pick in most early mock drafts. He appeared in 34 career games at Michigan with 20 starts at right tackle and two at right guard.

That versatility is going to help him during the evaluation process. His lack of length makes him a candidate to switch to guard in the NFL, but his Michigan experience at both positions is a positive. Versatility is often a tiebreaker when it comes to rounding out rosters. Stueber has the look of a key reserve with starter upside. This will be a huge week for him to display that.

From Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy (Oct. 2021):

“He’s played guard and tackle, and done it at a winning level at both positions. In terms of the athlete, there are going to be better ones out there. But he’s one of those guys, and he’s not a bad athlete by any stretch, he knows how to play. He knows how to play with what he has, which is really important on the offensive line. We always talk about blind projections in scouting. You see a guy play one position and you think he has the tools to play another, but you haven’t seen him before. With Stueber, you’ve seen him play both and play at a winning level.

“He does have pretty good initial quickness and can get out on the move better than you think and he’s one of those guys that grow on you the more you watch him. He’s just a good football player. Those major-program guys with a lot of career starts, you go back to my time in the NFL and we did studies on what type of players play at the next level and it’s a lot of those guys. It’s the major-program guys that have played a lot of football and have positional versatility. Stueber is obviously that guy.

“He’s probably a better fit at guard. From a length perspective, I don’t know if it’s ideal on the edge. Because he plays within himself and he’s smart, an instinctive player and has a nice feel, he more than gets by out there. You get to the NFL and those guys, even in the middle of the season, there aren’t enough linemen. A guy that can plug in a couple of different spots is always valuable to have on the roster and why Andrew’s got a really good chance of getting his name called in April.”

2022 Senior Bowl Schedule

Tuesday (Feb. 1)

11:30 am – 1:30 pm (NATIONAL)
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm (AMERICAN)

Wednesday (Feb. 2)

11:30 am – 1:30 pm (NATIONAL)
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm (AMERICAN)

Thursday (Feb. 3)

11:30 am – 1:30 pm (NATIONAL)
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm (AMERICAN)

The Senior Bowl is set for Saturday, Feb. 5 at 2:30 p.m. ET from Mobile and will be broadcast live via NFL Network.