Zach Gentry might regret leaving Michigan Football early for NFL Draft

After a poor combine performance, it’s possible that former Michigan football tight end Zach Gentry won’t be picked in the 2019 NFL draft.

One thing that Jim Harbaugh has done since taking over as the head coach of Michigan football is put players in the NFL and with the 2019 draft starting Thursday, Harbaugh is hoping to send a bunch more Wolverines to the league.

All in all, it should be a good night for Michigan football and for the most part, a really good weekend. The Wolverines are expected to have two players go in the first round of the draft, Devin Bush Jr. and Rashan Gary.

In fact, it’s possible that both will be top-10 picks. Gary’s stock has dipped a bit, in part because of questions about his college production (9.5 career sacks), as well as reports of a shoulder injury that will require surgery next offseason. However, Harbaugh predicted he would still go top 10.

On the other end of the spectrum, Bush has seen his stock soar after running a 4.43 at the combine, which backed up his outstanding film and production at UM. He was named an All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2018.

Even if Gary slides a little bit, it’s clear that both he and Bush made the right decision. If you are guaranteed to be a first-round pick unless you are determined to win a national championship or something like that, you just about have to declare for the draft. At that point, no one can blame you.

Unfortunately, not every draft decision pans out and right now, things aren’t looking too good for Zach Gentry, the former standout tight end for Michigan football.

Gentry came to the Wolverines as a quarterback. He was one of Jim Harbaugh’s first big recruits and despite his 6-foot-8 frame and four-star ability, he moved over to tight end after redshirting.

Jake Butt called him a natural as Michigan prepped for the Orange Bowl in 2016, then Gentry hauled in 49 passes in 2017 and 2018 for 817 yards and four touchdowns. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers but he did catch 32 balls as a redshirt junior for 514 yards and for his career, he averaged 16.7 yards per reception.

Most expected Gentry to return to Michigan football for another season but following a rough Ohio State game, that included two critical drops, he decided to skip his senior season. At the time, it didn’t seem like a terrible move.

Gentry seemed to be viewed favorably by scouts and while he wasn’t a guaranteed first-rounder like Bush or Gary, he seemed like an early to mid-round pick nonetheless.

That was until the NFL combine.

That’s when Gentry’s stock started falling after he ran a 4.91 in the 40. At the Wolverines pro day in mid-March, he improved on that time, posting a 4.66 and a 4.70 but the damage might already be done.

If he was a really good blocker, it might not hurt him as much, but in the tight end game, he’s pretty much a one-trick pony and teams don’t usually salivate over 6-8 tight ends that run 4.9. Only the CBS mock draft of the major sites have him going (seventh round) Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, a former NFL scout, had this to say:

“I don’t think he should have come out with the draft class at that position as good as it is. He’s got a big body and catch radius, but more of a wall-you-off (guy) without a lot of separation or run after the catch. He’s enormous (at 6-foot-8), but that’s more of a project to me. More of a fifth- or sixth-round project.”

As the old saying goes, it only takes one team to fall in love and pick you. But with a deep class at the position, Gentry will be lucky to go before late day three. And when Michigan football is installing an offense that would have capitalized on his skill sets, it makes you wonder if he regrets his decision at all.

I hope for his sake that he gets drafted this weekend and earns some guaranteed money. He does have potential and even if he isn’t selected, he will be one of the most prioritized rookie free agents, so he will get a chance in the NFL.

But if he had stayed, with the switch to a more wide-open offense, Michigan football might have finally utilized Gentry properly, because it never did before and it’s too bad for both sides that he won’t be a Wolverine next season.