Michigan Football: NFL Draft prospects and overview
After a remarkable NFL draft in 2017, the Michigan Wolverines will look to have another notable class come April 26.
Michigan Football will not see 11 of its players drafted like last year, but they will be losing some key talent. The Wolverines have four solid players that have a good chance of hearing their names called this year. Here’s a look at each prospect and where they might land.
C, Mason Cole
Cole is an interesting prospect because he’s so versatile on the offensive line. He’s proven himself as a productive center and left tackle. Not many other linemen in the country can say they’ve started 51 consecutive games either.
As Michigan’s offensive line continued to struggle during the 2017 season, his draft stock dropped; NFL.com now has Cole as a 3rd-4th round pick. Regardless of the projections, he has demonstrated his capability to stay healthy as a consistent work horse. That alone will mean a lot to NFL scouts and general managers. I would be shocked if Cole’s name gets called anywhere after the third round.
DT, Maurice Hurst
Mo Hurst is the hottest Michigan player in this year’s draft. He had an absolutely tremendous Wolverine career, compiling 32 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. He is much deserving of his ranking as the No. 1 defensive tackle prospect by cbssports.com.
Some NFL teams are worried about his recently diagnosed heart condition that kept him out of the combine. Hurst was eventually cleared by a cardiologist to participate in Michigan’s pro day weeks later. He ended up clocking in a pretty good 40 yard dash too, at 4.97 seconds. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has him going 20th overall to the lions. I can’t see any team passing up on Mo in the first round.
LB, Mike McCray
Mike McCray will be remembered as a classic, hard-hitting Michigan linebacker. In his two seasons as a started, McCray tallied 154 total tackles and 30.5 tackles for loss. His career was put on hold due to injury in 2014, but McCray is healthy now.
Due to much criticism of his speed and range, it’s hard to know exactly where he will land in the draft. He also only put up 16 bench press reps at the combine, which won’t help his case either. NFL.com predicts McCray as a 4th-5th round pick. I personally view McCray as more of a 5th-6th round pick because of his questionable performance at the combine.
FB, Khalid Hill
Khalid Hill may not be mentioned when talking about top prospects or mock drafts, but the full back is worth noting. He finished his college career with 16 total touchdowns (13 on the ground).
No coach in the country uses the full back more than Jim Harbaugh, which may really help Hill’s chances of getting drafted. We all know the full back is a dying positing but If I’m an NFL GM, I’m going to pick the player that’s been implemented in multiple offensive sets in college. Hill is most likely to go in the sixth round, if he gets picked at all.
Next: A look at next season's basketball lineups
The 2018 NFL Draft will be held from April 26 to April 28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It will be broadcasted live on ESPN starting at 8 PM on Thursday, and the Cleveland Browns will make the first pick.