PFF ranks 3 Michigan football players as the best at their position

Many Michigan football fans believe the Wolverines will be a contender once again in 2024, but some are skeptical. The concern is based mostly on the quarterback, plus having 13 players drafted.

It’s not easy to replace that much NFL talent. Michigan football still has an uber-talented roster, especially on defense, but guys will have to step up.

However, in some ways, the Wolverines have more high-end talent than they did last season. Michigan football had just one first-round pick in 2024 — J.J. McCarthy. In 2024, the Wolverines could have three or four.

Plenty of mock drafts have Mason Graham, Will Johnson, Colston Loveland, and Kenneth Grant getting drafted in the first round. PFF seems to agree with that sentiment and ranks at least three of those guys as the No. 1 player at their position.

Three Michigan players are ranked the best at their position

Johnson makes sense as the No. 1 cornerback. I’d argue he was the best cornerback in college football last season after making four interceptions and four pass breakups. He wasn’t even 100 percent all season but intercepted passes against Ohio State and in the national title game.

Mason Graham is the best defensive tackle in college football. Like Johnson, if he was eligible for the 2024 NFL draft, he probably would have been a first-round pick already. Graham had 36 tackles last season plus three sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss. One of those came against Alabama in overtime, which essentially set up the fourth-and-goal situation.

Tight end Colston Loveland is also ranked No. 1 at his position. All three players are juniors. Johnson was a five-star recruit but Loveland and Graham each ranked outside the top 200. That’s something Ohio State fans should remember. They make fun of Michigan for getting lower-ranked players, yet many of those players end up better than the five stars Ohio State signed coming out of high school.

Colston Loveland is better than any tight end Ohio State has recruited over the past decade. The same thing can be said about Mason Graham at defensive tackle or Will Johnson at cornerback.

So even though Michigan football recruiting is trending up, the PFF rankings are a reminder of Michigan’s current talent and its history of elite development.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms.