Ryan Hayes selected by Miami Dolphins in seventh round of 2023 NFL Draft
Michigan offensive tackle Ryan Hayes has found his new team, landing with the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft (No. 238 overall). He’s the eighth U-M player drafted this year.
Hayes appeared in 40 career games in Ann Arbor with 29 starts at left tackle, earning All-Big Ten honors twice (second team, coaches, third team, media in 2022; second team, coaches, honorable mention, media in 2021). He started 26 of Michigan’s 28 games over the last two seasons.
“He’s a good one, my goodness,” ESPN analyst Matt Miller said on the broadcast. “Played left tackle the last two years and won the Joe Moore Award, which goes to the best offensive line group in college football. Started 30 games at left tackle for the Wolverines. You’ve gotta be pretty darn good at football to do that.
“6-foot-6, he’s a little bit light — 300 pounds — only 32 7/8” arm length, so we might see a position change for him once he gets to the NFL.
“[Michigan head coach] Jim Harbaugh has praised Ryan Hayes as somebody who’s a true leader and a foundational piece for the Michigan offensive line that has been so, so good over these last two years. There’s some upside here for the Dolphins. They need some depth up front.”
Hayes has a lot of things he does well, but a lack of a standout trait and arm length sent him down draft boards.
“Hayes has the size, and play demeanor NFL decision-makers will value,” The Draft Network writes. “He is functional to solid in both run and pass blocking. Yet, he is not a master of either. I project him to be kicked inside to guard due to his arm length. Hayes is better battling in tight quarters where he can eliminate the issue of arm length/reach. I do not envision him as a long-term starting option for an offense at tackle but as a viable backup in a pinch. There is a path for him as a guard at the next level.”
Here’s what The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had to say about Hayes as a prospect, rating him as a seventh-round prospect:
A two-year starter at Michigan, Hayes started at left tackle in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s power-spread offense. A high school tight end and defensive end, he made the transition to the offensive line in Ann Arbor and was the starting left tackle of the offensive lines that earned back-to-back Joe Moore Awards.
Hayes didn’t allow a sack in 2022 and is efficient in his slide and setup, but his balance is often disrupted by speed, especially on the inside. He plays too narrow and struggles to access any power from his base to sustain blocks in the run game or counter pass rushers who control him with force. Overall, Hayes is quick, well coached and looks to play angles, but play strength is imperative in the NFL and that is an area in which he really struggles. He is a potential NFL backup if helearns to better compensate for his lack of ideal length and core strength.
Round 1 of the NFL Draft took place on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 went on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcast throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.
