Michigan Football’s elite development on display in 2023 NFL draft

Michigan football has proven once again that it’s as good as it gets when it comes to developing talent after the 2023 NFL draft haul. 

When talking about clear winners when it comes to the 2023 NFL draft, at least from a college football perspective, Michigan football is one of them.

The Wolverines had a great weekend in the NFL draft and has nine players selected in total. Another, Gemon Green, was signed by the Giants as a rookie free agent.

Michigan football extended its streak with at least one pick in the first round to five years and its total draft haul trailed Alabama/Georgia by just one. Both schools had 10.

The 49ers, Seahawks, and Bengals all drafted two Michigan football players each. When the Bengals selected punter Brad Robbins, it meant Jim Harbaugh had at least one player at each position selected during his tenure with the Wolverines.

It’s been an impressive run of draft picks and it’s not going to hurt on the recruiting trail, where the Wolverines are ranked No. 1 overall right now in 2024. 

The truly impressive thing about the draft for Michigan football

What’s even more impressive about the NFL draft haul for the Wolverines is that of the nine players selected over the weekend, just one, Mazi Smith, was ranked in the top 300 overall.

247 Sports puts together its rankings with the idea that those players will be the players in that class selected. That’s the idea behind the Top 247 and all that.

So to take eight players ranked outside the top 300 in the 247 sports composite rankings in their class, and get them drafted is incredible. But that’s what Michigan football did this weekend.

Jim Harbaugh has an eye for talent. That has always been clear. Yet, Harbaugh and his staff also know how to develop it. In fact, they are elite in that department.

Ronnie Bell was a low-ranked three-star and is now an NFL draft pick. Two special teams players were drafted, as well as two offensive linemen.

The pipeline is loaded with future NFL talent too and Michigan football should continue to have big draft classes over the next few years.

However, I do expect one key difference. With more top-ranked players coming to Michigan, which they have in the past few years, more first-round picks are coming — that’s my prediction at least.