Many of the stars who led Michigan to the 2024 National Championship left for the NFL in the 2024 draft class, but three underclassmen were forced to spend another year in Ann Arbor before becoming first-round picks. Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Will Johnson. All will likely hear their names called on the first night of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay this April, and all are in Indianapolis for the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine this week. However, that doesn’t mean this group of former Wolverines will be very busy in Indy.
Grant and Johnson, like many other first-round talents, have decided not to participate in drills at the Combine when defensive linemen workout on Thursday and defensive backs take the field on Friday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium. Both will instead participate in Michigan’s Pro Day on March 21 in Ann Arbor, forcing interested teams to make the trip. Graham will only participate in the bench press.
Despite Graham’s considerable shadow as the top-rated defensive tackle in the class, Grant has remained high on draft boards. A member of Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List, Grant was expected to impress, but he was discovered to have a hamstring strain during medical evaluations.
#Michigan DT Kenneth Grant was found during Combine medical evaluations to have a hamstring strain, per me and @MikeGarafolo, and he won’t be participating in on-field drills today.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 27, 2025
Grant, who pushed to participate anyway, will be full go at Michigan Pro Day on March 21. pic.twitter.com/05gNZGBcc6
Johnson appeared to be a surefire first-round pick after he was the Defensive MVP of the National Championship Game for Michigan two years ago. The only problem was that he was a sophomore and not yet draft-eligible. Johnson’s junior year was not as dominant as many expected as the cornerback dealt with injuries, but if his inactivity at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is any indication, the former Michigan star is still likely to come off the board on night one of the draft in April.
Michigan CB Will Johnson will not workout at the Combine, sources tell ESPN. He will fully participate in Pro Day on March 21st. pic.twitter.com/2cLnvhkxCy
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) February 27, 2025
There is a growing trend of high-end players skipping combine drills to instead showcase their athleticism in the more controlled Pro Day environment. Players like Johnson, who have been likely first-rounders for multiple years have very little left to prove, and above all just hope to avoid disaster throughout the draft process.
Even with limited participation throughout the draft process, Graham, Grant, and Johnson have put more than enough impressive play on tape to be selected in the first round.