Michigan Football: 3 questions the defense must answer in 2019

Is Michigan stout enough up front?

One of the biggest concerns facing the Wolverines defense in 2019 is going to be the defensive line. It’s not that there isn’t talent on the roster, there is, but when it comes to depth, there are definitely some question marks.

Gary left early for the NFL draft and Winovich graduated, along with Brian Mone, leaving Michigan football without three of its four starters coming back on the defensive line. Of course, injuries to Gary and Winovich last year helped get Kwity Paye and Josh Uche onto the field and both players flashed their ability to get after the quarterback.

However, there does have to be a little concern with how they will hold up against the run. Gary maybe didn’t get a ton of sacks but he was great against the edge, so was Winovich and inside, Mone also did a solid job along with Michael Dwumfour, who is the only starter returning.

Carlo Kemp will also start at defensive tackle and Aidan Hutchinson will also be part of the defensive line rotation, but unless Michigan grabs a graduate transfer at defensive tackle, the Wolverines are going to be relying a lot on freshmen Chris Hinton and Mazi Smith and even though both are highly touted, that’s asking a lot.