Michigan Football: Devin Bush and Chase Winovich 2019 NFL Draft stock
Michigan Football only had two players selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, but they have a good chance of tripling that next year.
The 2018 NFL Draft is over, and only two former Michigan Football players were chosen. It shouldn’t be that shocking considering that the Wolverines had 11 players Drafted a season ago, but either way it’s not typical. However, next year will be a complete turnaround for Michigan as far as the NFL Draft goes.
NFL.com has released a ranking of the top 150 college football players to watch in 2018. There are seven Michigan players on that list, and four of them are ranked in the top 50. Rashan Gary, Devin Bush, Shea Patterson, and Chase Winovich are all rated No. 47 or better. We know that NFL scouts are drooling over Rashan Gary and Shea Patterson, But what about Bush and Winovich?
Both Winovich and Bush were valuable players for Michigan’s No. 3 ranked total defense last season. Bush led the team in total tackles, while Winovich led the team in both sacks and tackles for loss
Bush came out of the season hot against Florida and never looked back. He possesses elite speed for linebacker and consistently swarms to the ball. This defense is already fast and Bush just puts them on another level. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter offers this scouting report on him:
"Bush is the new prototype for linebacker in college and the NFL — not necessarily big, but fast and aggressive. He can blow through the A-gap to wrap up quarterbacks, attack gaps on stretch plays to bring down running backs in the backfield, and get out to the hash to cover receivers."
Bush’s height may make an impact on his draft stock. On paper he is listed at 5’11” 220, but it’s on the field where he displays his freakish talents. If Bush has a comparable season to 2017, I like him going in the first three rounds.
Although Winovich isn’t the first player you’d think of when talking about Michigan’s elite talent, he may have been the best player on their defense last season. He accounted for 19 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in 2017, which is pretty impressive if you ask me. Chase actually considered entering the draft this year, but decided to return to college for his final year of eligibility. Reuter had this to say about Winovich:
"Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown has a Joker in hand in Winovich. The 6-3, 253-pound Pennsylvania native can rush from a two- or three-point stance. He can also be effective bringing pressure from the interior. Winovich is not shy about holding the edge in the run game, either, and should only improve under Brown’s tutelage for another season."
Chase is a completely different player than he was when he stepped onto campus as a tight end in 2014. Although it’s way too early, I think he’s a 2-4 round pick in 2019.
Next: U-M has one of the toughest schedules in the nation
You can see Winovich and Bush in action when the Wolverines head to South Bend on Sept 1 to renew their rivalry with the Irish.