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2024 NFL mock draft: Where all 18 Michigan Wolverine prospects are projected to land
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- 2024 NFL mock draft: Where all 18 Michigan Wolverine prospects are projected to land
Coming off its first national championship since 1997 and first unanimous national championship since 1948, Michigan football has a chance to continue making history at the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Wolverines had a record-18 players invited to the 2024 NFL Combine , and now have their sights on beating the record-15 players drafted by Georgia in the 2022 NFL Draft when the draft kicks off Thursday in Detroit .
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REQUIRED READING: NFL draft history: Look back at event's evolution from decades back all the way to Detroit
Michigan's school record for most players taken in a single draft is 11, coming in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Wolverines also had 10 players taken in 2020. This year's class is led by quarterback J.J. McCarthy , poised to become the highest-drafted Michigan QB in program history (surpassing his former coach Jim Harbaugh, who went No. 26 to the Chicago Bears in the 1987 NFL Draft).
Here are the best fits for the top Michigan players in the NFL draft:
QB J.J. McCarthy to the Minnesota Vikings in Round 1
McCarthy, who is listed at 6-foot-3, threw for 6,226 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in two-plus years as the starter. He finished 10th in Heisman Trophy voting last season and led the Wolverines to a national championship. The Minnesota Vikings lost long-time starter Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons during free agency this offseason. With a talented receiving corps led by Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison , Minnesota has a big need at signal caller with former No. 1 overall pick Sam Darnold projected as the starter as of now. McCarthy has been mocked to go as high as No. 2 overall and as low as No. 11 in the Viking's current draft spot.
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DT Kris Jenkins to the Los Angeles Chargers in Round 2
The son of a former NFL all-pro, Kris Jenkins had a pre-draft visit with his former coach Harbaugh during the draft process. With former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter also on the staff, drafting one of the best players in stopping the run in this draft could make a lot of sense for the Chargers, given Harbaugh and Co.'s familiarity with Jenkins. Jenkins earned a Pro Football Focus run grade of 82.3. and had a run-stop rate of 12.6.
LB Junior Colson to the Green Bay Packers in Round 2
At 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, Colson has the ideal size to be a solid player at linebacker in the NFL. He would be a strong replacement option for the Packers following the recent release of De'Vondre Campbell. Colson recorded 24 total tackles and two pass breakups in the Big Ten championship game and two College Football Playoff games to help the Wolverines hoist the national championship.
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DB Mike Sainristil to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Round 2
Similar to safety Minkah Fitzpatrick , Sainristil can line up all over the defensive secondary, making him a perfect fit in a Mike Tomlin-led defense. Sainristil made 33 career starts with the Wolverines and appeared in 14 games in 2023, recording 36 total tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, five interceptions, two pass deflections, two forced fumbles and two touchdowns.
WR Roman Wilson to the Cincinnati Bengals in Round 2
With Tyler Boyd leaving via free agency and Tee Higgins requesting a trade in the final year of his contract, the Bengals are likely to add someone from the slot to help quarterback Joe Burrow . Wilson is one of the best route runners in the draft and gets open as well as anyone in the class. In his Michigan career, Wilson had 107 receptions for 1,707 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns.
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RB Blake Corum to the Los Angeles Chargers in Round 3
Corum was a workhorse back for Harbaugh in Ann Arbor. Why not keep the good times rolling? The Chargers have an immediate need for help at the position following the departure of former starter Austin Ekeler . Corum had a Michigan-record 58 career touchdowns and finished with a single-season record of 27 last season.
OL Zak Zinter to the Chicago Bears in Round 4
Zinter started 42 of his 45 games at Michigan. According to PFF, he did not allow a sack and allowed just five quarterback pressures over 296 pass-blocking snaps in 2023. Of the offensive guards to play at least 500 snaps in 2023, he had the 14th-best overall PFF grade, but also was 18th-best in run-blocking and 14th-best in pass-block efficiency. Zinter broke his tibia and fibula in Michigan's win over rival Ohio State in November, which is likely to hamper his draft stock.
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DE Braiden McGregor to the Miami Dolphins in Round 5
The Dolphins are limited in draft picks this season, with just two picks in the first four rounds. With Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips both working their way back from injuries, Miami needs help at defensive end. McGregor had 3.5 sacks over his final five games and could be someone the Dolphins are able to plug into the lineup early. He earned an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference in his final year with Michigan, after tying for a team lead with 9 TFL.
Other Michigan players invited to the NFL combine
Here are the other 10 Michigan players who were invited to the NFL combine and have a chance of being drafted at some point during the 2024 NFL Draft. These projections are made using The Athletic's Dane Brugler's seven-round mock.
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Cornelius Johnson , WR — Round 6
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Jaylen Harrell , DL — Round 6
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Trevor Keegan , OL — Round 6
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LaDarius Henderson , OL — Round 7
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Mike Barrett, LB — Round 7
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AJ Barner , TE — Round 7
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Josh Wallace , DB — Undrafted
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Trente Jones , OL — Undrafted
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Karsen Barnhart , OL — Undrafted
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Drake Nugent , OL — Undrafted
Top Michigan Wolverines NFL draft prospects of all time
Offensive tackle Jake Long (2008) and running back Tom Harmon (1941) are the two Michigan players to be selected No. 1 overall in NFL draft history. Long infamously went ahead of Matt Ryan that year, but went on to play for nine seasons and qualified for four Pro Bowls. Offensive tackle Tom Mack went No. 2 in the 1966 draft, while Braylon Edwards went No. 3 in the 2005 draft.
If J.J. McCarthy goes No. 4, he will join defensive back Charles Woodson (1998), wide receiver Desmond Howard (1992), and end Ron Kramer (1957) selected in that slot, among others.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFL mock draft 2024: Michigan Wolverine prospects projections
