Michigan Football at the NFL Combine

Oct 11, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Devin Funchess (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

There will be three players representing Michigan Football at the NFL combine (four if you count Thomas Rawls who transferred to CMU). They have varying draft stocks heading into the combine, but can all greatly improve their stock with a good performance. Michigan has always been known for producing great pro prospects, and while they don’t have many this year, there are a couple guys who can make an impact right away in the pros.

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The best prospect coming out of Michigan is Devin Funchess. Funchess started out at Michigan as a tight end before moving full time to wide receiver this year. He will likely stay at receiver in the NFL. Funchess is a freakish athlete and has great size at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds. He has good speed for his size, tremendous leaping ability, and had a good career at Michigan despite poor quarterback play. Right now he is seen as a late first round pick, but could move up to the middle of the first with great workouts. He dropped a few catchable balls during 2014 so the receiving drills will be big for him. He should have no problem wowing spectators in the athletic testing.

The other Wolverine at the combine likely to be drafted is Jake Ryan. He played both outside and inside linebacker during his time at Michigan, but fits best as an outside linebacker in the NFL for a 4-3 defense. Ryan has all the intangibles you look for and is very skilled. He has good speed and is a solid tackler, but sometimes struggles to get off blocks. He can excel against both the run and the pass in the NFL. He tore his ACL in 2013 so that may scare some teams off, but he came back late in the 2013 season and hasn’t seemed to lose a step. He is currently projected to be a mid round prospect.

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Michigan Wolverines

Frank Clark is the final Wolverine at the combine, although I wouldn’t exactly say he’s “representing” Michigan. Clark is a talented defensive end but has had a lot of off field issues. The biggest issue being a domestic violence charge that got him suspended and dismissed from the team this past season. He is a little on the small side for his position but has great instincts. Those instincts combined with his good speed makes him a solid pass rushing prospect. He has the talent to be a mid to late round pick, but the off field issues will likely keep him from being drafted. He will still look to impress at the combine, especially in the interview process, and could get some looks as an undrafted free agent.

Michigan isn’t as well represented at the combine as they usually are, but it will still be fun to watch Funchess and Ryan. They have a great chance to make an impact in the NFL right away, and continue to build on their legacies that they started at Michigan.

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