Michigan Football: Mike McCray, Mason Cole stand out in Senior Bowl

Michigan football had two guys playing on the North team in the Senior Bowl, and Mike McCray and Mason Cole stood out to NFL scouts.

For those that are either interested in the NFL draft process or just obsessed with following all aspects of Michigan football, you will know what I mean when I tell you Mike McCray and Mason Cole both stood out in the Senior Bowl Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.

Both Michigan football players started for the North squad. There was Cole on offense, as the starting center. McCray opened the game at inside linebacker. He also wore the communications helmet.

The funny thing is, even though McCray may have been the more unheralded prospect, he ended up making the biggest splash on game day. Thanks to great plays like this:

McCray, who played inside linebacker all week, made more than one nice play in coverage. That play came in the first series, right after he had a tackle on the opening kickoff. He also broke up another pass later in the first half and finished with five total tackles.

All in all, it was a good performance for McCray, who over the past two seasons, has racked up 152 stops, 29.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. He also had two interceptions, six passes defensed and a defensive score as a Wolverine.

As the tweet above shows, McCray impressed on multiple fronts. He did well in pass coverage, but also showed his penchant for pressuring the quarterback. He was a solid in blitzes for Michigan football and could offer some of the same skills at the next level.

At the very least, McCray showed he’s not a statue. He’s tough against the run, has some pass rush skills and has good instincts in coverage. He’s probably still a late-round pick, but he definitely helped himself.

Along those same lines, so did Cole. Of course, Cole was Mr. Reliable for Michigan football, starting just about every game. He played left tackle last season and before that, was a center.

During the Senior Bowl, he was back to center and by all accounts, had a strong week. Before the season, he was viewed as one of the best centers in the country. He played outside for the sake of the team, but now he is back to his natural position and looking like an early-round pick.

It’s harder to evaluate offensive lineman without the benefit of re-watching the game, but Cole appeared to do well. After all, the week of practice is normally more important than the game and he did well all week.

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McCray also got noticed this week and interviewed with several NFL teams. He’s probably not going to be a top-100 pick like Cole, but after the way he performed at the Senior Bowl, he should at least hear his named called in the 2018 NFL draft.