By the numbers: Michigan leads Big Ten with nine selections, continues NFL Draft success under Jim Harbaugh
Michigan Wolverines football has become an NFL Draft powerhouse under head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Maize and Blue continued their success with nine selections in 2023. We go by the numbers with a look at the most interesting tidbits about Michigan’s draft.
First, here’s a list of Michigan’s 2023 draftees:
• DT Mazi Smith — first round, No. 26 overall to the Dallas Cowboys
• TE Luke Schoonmaker — second round, No. 58 overall to the Dallas Cowboys
• CB DJ Turner — second round, No. 60 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals
• K Jake Moody — third round, No. 99 overall to the San Francisco 49ers
• DL Mike Morris — fifth round, No. 151 overall to the Seattle Seahawks
• OL Olu Oluwatimi — fifth round, No. 154 overall to the Seattle Seahawks
• P Brad Robbins — sixth round, No. 217 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals
• OL Ryan Hayes — seventh round, No. 238 overall to the Miami Dolphins
• WR Ronnie Bell — seventh round, No. 253 overall to the San Francisco 49ers
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3rd-Most draft picks in a year during the Harbaugh era, trailing 2017 (11) and 2020 (10). The 2017 group set the program record for most in a draft. Here are Michigan’s draft numbers under the head coach, who’s entering his ninth season at the helm:
| Year | Michigan Draftees |
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2017 | 11 |
| 2016 | 3 |
4 NFL franchises — the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers — selected two Michigan players a piece.
5th Michigan wide receiver drafted under Harbaugh is Bell in the seventh round. He joins Jehu Chesson (fourth round in 2017), Amara Darboh (third round in 2017), Donovan Peoples-Jones (sixth round in 2020) and Nico Collins (third round in 2021).
8 First-round picks for Michigan during Harbaugh’s head coaching stint, with Smith being the most recent. Michigan has had at least one first-rounder five-straight years and in six of Harbaugh’s eight drafts.
8 Times has Michigan had eight or more NFL Draft picks in a single event, with three of those occurrences happening in the last four years: 2023, 2021, 2020, 2017, 1975, 1974, 1972 and 1948. It’s important to note, though, that the draft had more than seven rounds pre-1994. The Wolverines had four players chosen within the first seven rounds in 1975, five in 1974, seven in 1972 and one in 1948.
9th and 10th Michigan offensive linemen to be drafted under Harbaugh: Oluwatimi and Hayes.
10 Players drafted from each of Georgia and Alabama, leading this year’s event. Michigan is alone in third with nine, while TCU is just behind the Wolverines with eight. There’s a seven-way tie for fifth (six draftees) between Clemson, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Pittsburgh.
10 Michigan edge rushers have been selected in the NFL Draft since 2017, with Morris being the most recent. The Wolverines have had at least one edge rusher come off the board six of the last seven years.
| Position | Draftees Under Jim Harbaugh |
| QB | 1 |
| RB | 2 |
| FB | 1 |
| TE | 3 |
| WR | 5 |
| OL | 10 |
| DT | 4 |
| EDGE | 10 |
| LB | 5 |
| CB | 5 |
| S | 4 |
| K | 1 |
| P | 1 |
18 Michigan players were drafted in the seven years prior to Harbaugh’s tenure (2009-15). He now has 53 draft picks in the eight drafts he’s been part of as the U-M head coach (2016-23).
23 Michigan players have been top-100 picks during Harbaugh’s coaching career. Four times in the last five drafts (2019, ’21, ’22, ’23), at least three Wolverines have been chosen top 100.
52 First-round picks in Michigan history, with Smith being the latest to be added to a long list. He’s the fifth Wolverine defensive lineman selected in the first round in the past seven drafts.
55 Draft picks from the Big Ten, including Michigan’s nine. The Wolverines had 16.4 percent of all Big Ten selections in 2023.
85 Consecutive NFL Drafts with a Michigan player chosen, dating back to 1938. That streak is an NCAA record.
401 Total draft picks all time for Michigan. Hayes’ (sixth round) selection marked the 400th pick for the Wolverines. They’re one of six college football teams with 400-plus players chosen.
1985 Was the last time a Michigan defensive tackle was taken in the first round, with Kevin Brooks (No. 17 overall pick) going to the Dallas Cowboys, before Smith was chosen this year.
2003 Was the last time a Michigan tight end was taken in the second round (Bennie Joppru, No. 41 overall) before Schoonmaker was chosen No. 58. Schoonmaker is the Wolverines’ third tight end to be picked under Harbaugh, joining Jake Butt (fifth round, 2017) and Zach Gentry (fifth round, 2019). Schoonmaker is the seventh-highest drafted Michigan player at his position since 1970.
| Player | Pick | Year |
| Paul Seymour | 7th overall, first round | 1970 |
| Jim Mandich | 29th overall, second round | 1973 |
| Doug Marsh | 33rd overall, second round | 1980 |
| Paul Seal | 36th overall, second round | 1974 |
| Tony McGee | 37th overall, second round | 1993 |
| Bennie Joppru | 41st overall, second round | 2003 |
| Luke Schoonmaker | 58th overall, second round | 2023 |
2007 Was the last time a Michigan cornerback was picked higher than where Turner was chosen (second round), when Leon Hall went No. 18 overall in the first round.
2016 Was the last time a kicker was chosen higher than where Moody went (No. 99 overall), with Roberto Aguayo, a Florida State product, going No. 59 overall in the second round. Moody’s selection marked just the fourth time this century that a kicker was picked in the top 100.
