Michigan Football: 5 bold predictions for Wolverines in 2020
Multiple players will emerge as first-round caliber players
Michigan football might have just lost 10 players to the NFL draft, but there is still plenty of talent in Ann Arbor and next year, it’s possible that more than one Wolverine will work his way into the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.
To do that, guys will need breakout seasons and with a few guys, you can see it coming. Jalen Mayfield impressed scouts last season and he’s already getting buzz as a potential first-round pick. Collins is a wide receiver who probably would have been a third-rounder in last weekend’s draft and if he breaks out with Donovan Peoples-Jones gone, he easily has the skills of a first-round pick.
However, on defense, there is even more NFL-caliber talent. On the defensive line, Aidan Hutchinson is going to grow into a beast and he will get buzz as an early entrant into the draft along with redshirt sophomore Cameron McGrone, who burst on the scene with 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
When Josh Ross went down and McGrone became the starter, the defense improved dramatically. His improvement will continue and another defender who will take a big leap next season is Daxton Hill. He will play like an early NFL draft pick next season, but thankfully for Michigan football fans, he won’t be eligible for the 2021 draft.