Michigan Football: Wolverines are an NFL factory for O-Line again

Despite only winning nine games, 11 Michigan football players were invited to the NFL Combine and one of them – a lineman – is a projected first-round pick.

Do you remember the glory days of offensive line play in and out of The Big House? It wasn’t abnormal to hear of a Michigan football big man having his name called in the first or second round of the draft year-after-year.

Guys like Taylor Lewan highlighted what it meant to be a bruiser in the run game and a protector in the passing game. The 6-foot-7 behemoth exuded confidence and swagger on his way to a first-round selection back in 2014, and there hasn’t been a tackle, guard, or center that has recreated his magic.

Before him, there was David Baas, Steve Hutchinson, and so many others who played their guts out for the maize and blue in the trenches.

Some have attempted to resuscitate the Wolverines title of O-Line U, although they couldn’t quite get over the hump that is a selection within the first 32 or 64. In 2016, in the fourth round, the Lions snagged Graham Glasgow, and in 2018, Mason Cole was taken 97th overall (third-round).

This year, however, feels different; it is different.

While the Wolverines had their mishaps on the gridiron iron, 11 Michigan men were honored with invites to the NFL Combine. Only one other school had more and there was a three-way tie for second. LSU topped the list with 16, with Michigan, Ohio State, and Alabama at 11.

One of those 11 was featured in a Mock Draft by NFL’s Mel Kiper ($) as a first-rounder. With the 32nd pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select: Cesar Ruiz, the University of Michigan.

Here’s what Mel said in his assessment:

"I really like Ruiz’s film from last season, and I have a higher grade on him now than I did on the 2019 class’ top center Garrett Bradbury last year. It’s just tough to project where centers will land because few teams actually need them. Ruiz, who also started a few games at guard in college, is an outstanding pass-blocker. The Chiefs could upgrade at center over Austin Reiter or put Ruiz at guard in place of veteran Stefen Wisniewski, who is a free agent. Both had tough games in the Super Bowl win against a spectacular 49ers defensive line. Edge-rusher and cornerback are other possibilities here."

Ruiz could be the first of three or four Michigan men who walk the big stage in Las Vegas just before summertime. The other departing linemen are Jon Runyan, Ben Bredeson, and Michael Onwenu, who all have their strengths and weaknesses and could find their way onto an NFL roster, as either draft picks or by finding contracts as a UDFA – more likely as draft picks, but we’ll have a better idea after the combine and pro days.

Regardless, for someone like Mel Kiper to drop the name of a Wolverines lineman into the first round, it says something about the university; it screams ‘Michigan is back in the business of churning out NFL ready linemen.’

Matt’s musings

While we won’t see another mass departure of starting linemen in a while and it’s uncommon to lose four of your five starters in one year, this prediction by ESPN and the hype surrounding the offensive line can be directly attributed to OL coach Ed Warriner, who’s in his second year in Ann Arbor.

Ed had the benefit of hardened veterans doing the blocking for him, but his scheming and mentoring led to a freshman rushing for over 700 yards, a sophomore with over 600,  a quarterback that, at times, could’ve taken a nap in the backfield, and Ruiz’s destiny as a high pick and the extravagant contract that comes with it.