Michigan football is sixth all time with 351 total NFL Draft selections. Only USC, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Nebraska have more. The Wolverines’ arch-rival, Ohio State, hold the record for total selections from one school in a single draft, 14, set in 2004.
Could this group of Michigan football players moving on to the pros come close to that mark? Maybe even tie it? I really didn’t even think it was possible until a reporter brought it up towards the end of Mike Mayock’s media conference call.
Mayock is THE NFL DRAFTNIK of all draftniks. He’s forgotten more about the NFL Draft than I’ll ever learn in five lifetimes, but his scouting report buzzwords, cliches, and other assorted bits of word salad are all worth making fun of (so we listed a lot of them out at this link) Here’s what Mayock had to say when he was posed with the question about Michigan football potentially getting 14 players selected this draft.
“I think it’s a fascinating conversation. Obviously it’s a compliment to Michigan in how they’ve recruited and developed players and will continue to help them recruit and develop further players.”
“That means you’ve got guys in all levels of the draft, first round, late round, middle round. To me that’s awesome, and that means you’ve recruited well from anywhere.”
“From the NFL perspective, Miami back in the day, Alabama more today, generating all the first and second round picks they do is more sexy, but I think the fact that you’re churning out 13, 14 guys, and I don’t know how many they’re going to get drafted, but it’s pretty awesome that it’s offense, defense in all the positions. “
So who are the Michigan football players who will taken in the 2017 NFL draft? Let’s run through some of them.
Taco Charlton, DE, was described by Mayock as “really gifted, a long-edge guy.” He is projected to go anywhere in the top 10-25 range. Then you have…
Jabrill Peppers, Multiple Positions…good ol’ #5 began his UM career as a DB but now he’s moved on to doing that and so much more. Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh listed out everything Peppers can, should and does do for the Wolverines this preseason. You can read the very long quote.
He’ll like be prioritized as a safety at the next level. At the combine Peppers worked out with both the safeties and the linebackers, showing off his chops not once but twice. NFL GMs will love that fact that he prioritized the team needs ahead of individual self-interest. Of course, it’s now out there that Peppers was flagged for a diluted urine sample, after he took his drug test during the NFL combine. That is not a failed drug test, but it could have some teams yellow-flagging him.
It’s not quite a red flag, but it is a yellow flag, and maybe Peppers now slips out of the first round and falls into the second, perhaps.
To see where we have these two players going check out our 2017 NFL mock draft. The Walter Football NFL mock draft database lists 237 mocks on the internet. An overwhelming majority of them are only one round (as is ours). Thus, we’re going to spin through the Walter Football’s full seven round mock and look for OSU players.
Link to Walter Football round 2 mock (a full 7 round mock draft! That is intense! Wow!)
Round two- 47. Baltimore Chris Wormley, DT
Round three– 81. Baltimore Jourdan Lewis, CB, 94. Pittsburgh, Jake Butt, TE
Round 5– 153. Cincinnati. Ryan Glasgow, DT, 158. Indianapolis, De’Veon Smith, RB, 179. Arizona, Ben Gedeon, ILB
Round 6- 192. Carolina, Kyle Kalis, OG
Round 7- 229. New Orleans, Channing Stribling, CB
That’s ten Michigan football players, in total, getting selected in the draft should all of the Walter Football projected guys get picked. That’s very impressive, but it’s still well short of the record number (14). Those who bleed maize and blue should be very proud, but those who support their arch-rival should feel secure in their NFL Draft record remaining secure come Saturday.
It seems that reporter and his/her narrative much more sizzle than it is steak. Nevertheless Harbaugh is building/maintaining a NFL Draft factory in Ann Arbor.
“They’ve got talent,” added Mayock
“And it’s just fun tape to watch. So when I put on a Michigan tape, I know I’m going to get a well-coached, hard-working group of kids that.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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