Michigan Football: The 10 most important defensive players in 2020

No. 4-6

6. Ambry Thomas

It might surprise some that Thomas is No. 6 on this list. In terms of talent, he’s probably higher and I do think he’s really important. But as we have seen over the past few years, the pass rush is more important to pass defense than cornerback play is. The speed of Thomas makes him unique and I expect to see him on Sundays. He will also be really solid in 2020 after 38 tackles, three interceptions and three passes defensed a year ago.

5. Kwity Paye

Pass rush rules in college football and really, at any level the game is played. If you can’t win the line of scrimmage or put pressure on the quarterback, you just aren’t going to stop people. Paye is one of the top defensive ends coming back in the Big Ten. He had 50 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks a year ago for the Wolverines. He should be just as effective in 2020, if not more but I don’t think he’s quite as good as Aidan Hutchinson, which is why he’s a little lower.

4. Chris Hinton

Hinton maybe deserves to be listed in the top three of the most important players. He still needs to show he can live up to that on the field. He did get some playing time at the end of the 2019 season, including significant snaps against Alabama and Ohio State. The former five-star recruit could be a gamechanger up front, not only with his ability to plug things up in the run game but also apply pressure from the interior. Michigan football needs that and Hinton can provide it.