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Michigan Football: DJ Turner, Mazi Smith turn heads at NFL combine

By Chris Peterson

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 29: D.J. Turner #5 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after making a play during the second half of a college football game against the Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Stadium on October 29, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Michigan Wolverines won the game 29-7 over the Michigan State Spartans. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 29: D.J. Turner #5 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after making a play during the second half of a college football game against the Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Stadium on October 29, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Michigan Wolverines won the game 29-7 over the Michigan State Spartans. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) /
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Nine Michigan football players were invited to the 2023 NFL combine and two of them — Mazi Smith and DJ Turner stood out on Friday. 

It wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if Michigan football had double-digit players selected in the 2023 NFL draft. The Wolverines had nine players invited to the NFL combine and more could have gotten invitations.

Regardless, two former Michigan football players already started to turn heads on Friday. One of them was cornerback DJ Turner. He could have returned for another season but declared for the draft and on Friday, he ran a 4.27 in the 40-yard dash.

I always knew that Turner was fast, but I had no idea he was that fast.

https://twitter.com/UMichFootball/status/1631759825930444800?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound corner was an All-Big Ten performer for Michigan football this past season and notched 17 pass breakups over the past two years. He also intercepted five passes and was a key reason Michigan’s defense was so stellar against the pass.

I figured that Turner was going to go somewhere in the middle rounds, maybe late in the third or somewhere in the fourth. There is still a long way to go in the draft process, but quick corners with size and ball skills — all things Turner has — don’t last long. I bet he’s got a good chance of maybe even moving up into the early third or late second round.

Michigan football’s Mazi Smith stands out in the bench press

Throughout the pre-draft process, Mazi Smith has gotten some of the earliest projections among Michigan football players in terms of the 2023 NFL draft and his 34 bench press reps on Friday certainly won’t hurt his cause.

https://twitter.com/UMichFootball/status/1631684359257243648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1631684359257243648%7Ctwgr%5E307936c79ab6b6faa6452f01499569c8fb5acb61%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.on3.com%2Fteams%2Fmichigan-wolverines%2Fnews%2Fmichigan-wolverines-football-mazi-smith-bench-press-leads-dl-at-combine%2F

Smith didn’t get a ton of sacks at Michigan, but he is dominant against the run and his strength is one reason why. Mazi has the brute force to get rid of double teams and also does pretty well with the bull rush, even if he doesn’t get lots of sacks.

So far, Smith has done the most bench press reps of any defensive lineman at the NFL combine and it just reinforces what NFL teams are going to see on film.

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More Michigan football players will get a chance to show what they can do over the next couple of days and come the 2023 NFL draft, plenty of Wolverines will hear their name called.

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