Two Michigan football rookies come away with sacks in NFL preseason

The Michigan football season is still two weeks away, but football is technically back with the NFL preseason.

The preseason got underway last week and it was a chance for Michigan football fans to get a glimpse at some former Wolverines.

On Saturday, a couple of former Michigan football players stood out. Kris Jenkins, a second-round draft pick of the Bengals, came away with a sack. It was early in the second quarter in the Bengals 27-3 loss to the Bears.

Jenkins was an early draft pick, so it's not like he was on the bubble to make the 53-man roster, but it's still good to see Jenkins showing out in the preseason. In college, he was known as a dominant run defender.

Of course, Jenkins can do more than just stop the run and he showed that on Saturday with a sack.

Jaylen Harrell makes a big play too

Another former Michigan football player who made a big play on Saturday was Tennessee Titans EDGE Jaylen Harrell.

The seventh-round pick of the Titans was one of the last players picked in the 2024 NFL draft. It didn't make sense to Michigan football fans. They have seen Harrell do a spectacular job of setting the EDGE in addition to being a stellar pass rusher. U-M fans will never forget the pressure he got on Kyle McCord which helped lead to Rod Moore's game-clinching interception against Ohio State.

Harrell is also a guy ready to play EDGE in the NFL. He can play with his hand in the dirt or standing up and he can contribute on special teams too. I also thought that Braiden McGregor should have been drafted and he wasn't.

But all you need is a chance and so far, Harrell is taking advangage. It might be just one sack, but sometimes, that's enough to show an NFL franchise you are worth keeping.