Connect with us

PRO BLUE

Michigan football likely won’t have a first round draft pick in 2023

Of the nine Michigan Wolverines heading to this year’s NFL Draft, none are projected higher than mid-2nd round.

Published

on

Oct 2, 2021; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Chase Wolf (2) is sacked by Michigan Wolverines linebacker David Ojabo (55) and defensive end Mike Morris (90) during the fourth quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Well, it’s that time of year again — the NFL Draft is fast approaching and much of the talent that made the 2022 college football season fun is preparing to make the jump to the next level. Michigan football is no stranger to this time of year, U-M holds the longest NFL Draft streak in the nation, though the Wolverines usually expect to have at least one of its star players go in the first round.

This year may be an exception to that, which is especially odd considering the fact that Michigan football won a Big Ten Championship a season ago and finished with a 13-1 record; in fact, the season before, the Michigan Wolverines saw similar success, going 12-2 and winning the Big Ten title. It’s an odd phenomenon, but don’t expect a ‘Michigan Man’ to get his name called on day one of the NFL Draft.

Who is Michigan football putting in the draft?

Despite having zero projected first rounders in this year’s NFL Draft, the Wolverines are putting the most talent into the league of any team in the conference. Michigan leads the Big Ten with nine players heading to the NFL Combine before the draft, though there is a chance that not all nine are picked up immediately, and may have to wait until after the draft to sign with a team.

Here are the nine Michigan Wolverines looking to make an NFL roster:

  1. Ronnie Bell, WR
  2. Ryan Hayes, OL
  3. Jake Moody, K
  4. Olu Oluwatimi, OL
  5. Mazi Smith, DL
  6. Mike Morris, DE
  7. Brad Robbins, P
  8. Luke Schoonmaker, TE
  9. DJ Turner, DB

Of these Wolverines, only one is projected to be drafted within the first two rounds of the NFL Draft: Mazi Smith. In fairness, some of this has to do with positional value — Robbins and Moody would be far higher on some mock drafts if punters and kickers were as valuable as running backs and wide outs.

Only one Wolverine projected to go in second round

According to NFL.com’s most recent 3-round mock draft, Mazi Smith is the first Wolverine off the board, going No. 42 overall to the Cleveland Browns. There, he would join former Michigan legends Donovan Peoples-Jones and Chase Winovich.

After Smith, the next Michigan football alum off the board is Mike Morris, who is projected to go at No. 179 overall to the Indianapolis Colts — this would be a great fit for Smith, who is used to playing in Indy from his days as a Wolverine. The other seven Wolverines are all projected to go after the third round.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebookand Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and all other steaming platforms.

FOOTBALL

Former Michigan football star earns massive new contract

This former Michigan football star just got PAID!

Published

on

Michigan football, Cesar Ruiz, New Orleans Saints, NFL
Sep 8, 2018; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Karan Higdon (22) rushes behind offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz (51) against the Western Michigan Broncos at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Wolverines’ 2023 season is in full swing, which is exciting for fans, yet even ex-players have been doing well as of late. Ahead of the first week of the NFL season, former Michigan football star turned New Orleans Saints standout — Cesar Ruiz — inked a massive new contract extension, keeping him in the Black and Gold through the 2027 season.

Former Michigan football star is standing out in the NFL

Cesar Ruiz was a standout along the Michigan football offensive line, appearing in 36 games from 2017-2019, 31 of which as a starter. Ruiz was a two-time All-Big Ten selection (2018 and 2019) and a three-year letterman (2017-2019) before becoming a first-round NFL Draft pick following the Wolverines’ 9-4 season in 2019. While Ruiz was not a member of any Big Ten title-winning Michigan football teams, his two years as a full-time starter were still solid — in 2018 and 2019, the Wolverines had two ranked finishes with a 19-7 overall record.

Cesar Ruiz agrees to huge deal with the Saints

Since being picked by the New Orleans Saints, the former Michigan football star has been impressive — enough so that he was recently given a new massive contract extension. Since being picked, Ruiz has made 40 starts for the Saints, appearing in an additional six games as a non-starter.

Cesar Ruiz — now 24 years old — and the Saints agreed on a four-year NFL contract extension worth $44 million; he is now the 6th-highest paid center in the National Football League.



Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

Continue Reading

FOOTBALL

Michigan football star among top 15 in latest NFL Draft rankings

This Michigan football star is being pinned as a top NFL Draft target for next spring!

Published

on

Michigan football star, NFL Draft, Kris Jenkins, Mel Kiper
Dec 31, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Kris Jenkins (94) against the TCU Horned Frogs during the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Recently, top NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper (ESPN) released his updated rankings for next spring’s draft. Last year, Mazi Smith, a massive nose tackle and ex-Wolveirne team captain, was picked in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys. Now, Kiper projects another Michigan football star to go in Round 1: defensive tackle and team captain Kris Jenkins.

Michigan football star placed among top 15 in new NFL Draft rankings

Since the start of fall camp this year, Michigan football star defensive tackle Kris Jenkins has been labeled as a “freak” and more — he is known as ‘The Mutant’ around Ann Arbor, and rightfully so. Jenkins, recently named a team captain, has gained even more hype, as Mel Kiper projects him to be a top 15 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Jim Harbaugh has recently stated that he believes the Wolverines will break a long-standing NFL Draft record by surpassing Georgia’s record of players picked, with 20 Wolverines going pro. Harbaugh could be right; in fact, even ESPN supports his claim, though only a few Michigan standouts are currently considered first-round talents.

That said, if Kris Jenkins performs as expected by experts and the Michigan football coaching staff, there is no reason he cannot be a major NFL Draft target next spring.

In Kiper’s newest mock draft, he has Michigan football defensive tackle Kris Jenkins ranked as the No. 15 prospect on the board. Other Wolverines, such as Donovan Edwards, Blake Corum, and JJ McCarthy, have all been mentioned as potential first-rounders as well; however, none of them made the cut in Kiper’s most recent projections.



Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

Continue Reading

FOOTBALL

NFL draft analyst compares Michigan football RB to former 1st round draft pick

Is Michigan football running back Donovan Edwards a future first rounder?

Published

on

Michigan football RB, Donovan Edwards, Jahmyr Gibbs, NFL draft
Dec 3, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards (7) before the Big Ten Championship against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Expectations are at an all-time high for Michigan football. A large part of this is that they have the best running back room in all of college football, with Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. As the hype builds for the season, talks of the NFL draft are also picking up steam. For Michigan football RB Donovan Edwards, he is even receiving comparisons to one of the best backs in this past draft, Jahmyr Gibbs.

Michigan football RB Donovan Edwards is entering first-round discussions ahead of the 2024 NFL draft

Donovan Edwards is a man amongst boys. Breaking onto the scene in 2023, the rest of the country is officially on notice.

Coming out of high school as a five-star and the No. 2 running back in the country, expectations have been elevated from day one. Luckily for Michigan fans, he has not disappointed.

In two years with the program, without being the full-time starter either year, Edwards has run the ball for 1,165 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, even more impressive might be his receiving numbers.

As a third and second-string running back in the last two seasons, Edwards has helped make his impact felt through the passing game. He’s recorded 465 yards and three touchdowns receiving over his career.

He’s one of the best overall running backs in the country. It’s only natural that he begins receiving comparisons to Jahmyr Gibbs, one of the best pass-catching backs from this past NFL draft.

NFL analyst Trevor Sikkema especially thinks so, saying, “When I look at Donovan Edwards, I think he can be the Jahmyr Gibbs of this upcoming class.”

In his time at Alabama, Jahmyr Gibbs was widely viewed as one of the best receiving backs in the country, NFL or college. While it’s undoubtedly an honor to receive such praise, it begs the question, could Edwards be even better?

Running back Donovan Edwards has some high expectations heading into the 2023 season

Donovan Edwards is about as close to a guarantee to go into the 2024 NFL draft as it gets. What’s shocking about that is he has minimal starting experience in college.

In fact, he won’t even be the starter in 2023 as Blake Corum elected to return for his senior year.

In 2021, Edwards was the third-string running back behind Michigan football legends Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum. Despite being buried on the depth chart, he found a way to make a significant impact thanks to his pass-catching ability.

For the 2022 season, a jump was expected. Haskins was off to the NFL, meaning Edwards would get the bump to second-string. Luckily for Edwards, he made a fantastic decision with his college choice, as coach Jim Harbaugh loves to run the ball.

In turn, Edwards put up major numbers, eclipsing 1,000 yards from scrimmage, despite backing up Corum most of the season.

While Edwards will likely still serve as a backup for the Wolverines in 2023, this shouldn’t matter too much. Many recruiting sites view him as a more impressive NFL draft prospect than Corum.

Big things are on the way for Edwards. He possesses the speed, size and strength to excel at this level and the next. Don’t be surprised to see him take another step forward in 2023 as he prepares to be one of the highest-drafted running backs in 2024.


Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

Continue Reading

TRENDING