Michigan Football: Wolverines DE Mike Danna is still being underrated

(Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Michigan football has a lot of nice pieces on the defensive line but one that continues to be overlooked is transfer Mike Danna who will play defensive end.

Just about every Michigan football fan is hoping for news and info coming out of the Wolverines fall camp. Today was the first padded practice and we will see what information leaks out.

Over the years, head coach Jim Harbaugh has been able to keep a pretty good lid on things. Many players and coaches have said they will be off Twitter for the month and practices aren’t open to the media, so reports are just second-hand notes from sources.

Yet, one name I expect to hear during fall camp is that of former Central Michigan defensive end Mike Danna, who transferred to the Wolverines after being First-Team All-Mac in 2018.

The graduate transfer has impressed Harbaugh and the rest of the staff since his arrival. Harbaugh even mentioned him at Big Ten Media Days.

While that has created some hype around Danna, who is competing for snaps at defensive end, it’s hard to know what Michigan football has in the 6-foot-2, 250-pound pass rusher. But it’s safe to say Pro Football Focus thinks he will be plenty good after ranking him among its top-50 players for the 2019 season. No other Michigan football player made the list.

Here is what Pro Football Focus had to say about Danna:

"Heading to Michigan after a dominant career at Central Michigan, Danna brings with him a ridiculous set of pass-rush moves and a strong presence in the run game. He ripped off 50 or more pressures in each of the last two seasons including 55 a year ago with 19 combined sacks + hits. Purely projection at this point, his ability to shed blocks and get after the quarterback should translate nicely to the Wolverines defensive front after several losses this offseason."

Seeing how Danna comes to Michigan with 27.5 sacks, his resume is already impressive. But with 100 pressures on the quarterback in the past two seasons, UM may have gotten a steal.

The Wolverines had a ton of success with transfer Shea Patterson playing quarterback in 2018 and maybe Danna can help fill the shoes left by Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich. With others like Josh Uche, Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson, Danna will have to fight to earn his opportunities.

Yet, with everything he has accomplished in his career, it’s entirely possible Michigan fans are still underrating his ability. The kid bet on himself, believing that if he stood out with UM, it would open the eyes of NFL scouts. I’m sure the chance to win is motivating too.

Next. Top 15 Michigan Quarterbacks of all time. dark

So even though I don’t see Danna as an every-down starter, I do see him as an impact player this season. Even if he does most of his work in pass-rush situations, having another solid edge rusher is going to be valuable and if Danna produces like he is used to, the D-line won’t just be good, it will have a chance to be great.