Michigan football: 5 takeaways from five rounds

Hudson will develop into a contributor

Michigan’s latest NFL draft pick is Khaleke Hudson to the Washington Redskins as the 162nd overall pick in the fifth round.

Hudson is the viper that Don Brown dreamed of: He’s fast, violent, and always finds his way to the ball. Four years he spent playing for Michigan and over that time, he accounted for 225 tackles (101 from 2019 alone), 14 pass deflections, ten sacks, and two interceptions.

As a viper in college, Khaleke will likely move into the secondary, possibly as a safety, although, Hudson certainly has the strength to secure a permanent role as a linebacker. At the combine, Khaleke posted 30 repetitions on the bench press, which impressed scouts and was likely a cause for him getting drafted higher than some predicted.

After the Combine, Khaleke received a 5.46 grade which underrates him into the Priority Free Agent category.

Here’s the evaluation from NFL.com:

"Undersized safety turned linebacker who summons toughness and spunk to counterbalance his lack of traits. The production has been fairly impressive in two of the last three seasons, but he’s quicker than fast and his range is limited. Hudson’s lack of size shows up near the line of scrimmage and he’s not as sticky in coverage as he needs to be. His talent for blocking punts should garner attention, but may not be enough to overcome deficiencies at linebacker or safety."

Washington received a linebacker/safety that can blow up plays; Khaleke found the next place where he will dominate on the field.