By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | Metro | Published May 3, 2024
DETROIT — The honeymoon phase of the University of Michigan football team’s national championship continued as the Maize and Blue was well represented at the 2024 NFL Draft April 25-27 in Detroit.
With 13 players drafted, including seven players selected in the first three rounds, the Wolverines set a new program record, which was previously 11 in 2017. It was also the fifth time in school history that the Wolverines had 10 or more players drafted (11 in 2017 and 10 in 1972, 1974 and 2020). The national champions also had the most players drafted out of any school in the nation in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy got things started off as he was selected 10th overall in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings.
It’s a tough reality to come to grips with for Michigan fans who are also Detroit Lions fans, knowing they will have to see him twice each year with All-Pro Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison at his disposal on the outside.
McCarthy was the lone draftee from Michigan on day one, but the Wolverines cleaned up nicely on day two as defensive tackle Kris Jenkins (Cincinnati Bengals) and defensive back Mike Sainristil (Washington Commanders) were selected back-to-back in the second round with Jenkins at 49th and Sainristil at 50th overall.
Jenkins will join a Bengals defensive line group hoping to fill the void of D.J. Reader, who signed with the Detroit Lions in the offseason.
Sainristil received rave reviews prior to the draft about his knowledge of the game, and the Commanders will need every ounce of it as its secondary allowed the most passing yards per game last season in the NFL.
Former Michigan head coach and now Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh landed his first Wolverine in the third round with the selection of linebacker Junior Colson (69th overall), whom the Chargers desperately needed to bolster the team’s linebacking group.
A sort of domino effect took place later in the third round as Blake Corum (Los Angeles Rams), Roman Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Zak Zinter (Cleveland Browns) were drafted consecutively with picks 83-85 to conclude Michigan’s third-round reign.
Corum will form an impressive 1-2 punch with Notre Dame alumnus Kyren Williams, who has battled injury issues but is a force both in the passing and rushing game when healthy. The Steelers hope Wilson will immediately plug in as a wide receiver after trading away Diontae Johnson in the offseason. Johnson didn’t leave much of a void to fill, so Wilson will automatically be a refreshing change of pace for Steelers fans and an offense that ranked 25th in passing yards per game.
Other Michigan players drafted were: TE AJ Barner (Seattle Seahawks/4th round); OL Trevor Keegan (Philadelphia Eagles/5th round); LB Mike Barrett (Carolina Panthers/7th round); OL LaDarius Henderson (Houston Texans/7th round); DL Jaylen Harrell (Tennessee Titans/7th round); and WR Cornelius Johnson (Los Angeles Chargers/7th round).
Keegan will be one to watch simply because the Eagles have done an impressive job of developing offensive linemen, especially ones drafted by the organization. The Eagles offensive line will see some new names and faces in the starting rotation, and it has battled injuries in the past, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if Keegan mixes into the rotation.
Aside from being another Wolverine on the Chargers, Johnson is a name to watch because of how desperate the Chargers are in the wideout department.
The Chargers drafted three wideouts in the 2024 NFL Draft with the University of Georgia’s Ladd McConkey (2nd round) leading the way, while the University of Southern California’s Brenden Rice (7th round), son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, and Johnson followed suit.
It would be a different story if Joshua Palmer or 2023 first rounder Quentin Johnston were serviceable last season, but the losses of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are too much to bear for the Chargers — more so Allen, since Williams spent much of his Chargers tenure injured.
Johnson has the talent to be a solid NFL wide receiver, especially with a quarterback like Justin Herbert under center, but it will be dependent on if he can separate himself from the group.
Harbaugh ended his Wolverine tenure with 65 players being selected in the NFL Draft, and Michigan could potentially feature another impressive showing next year as DL Mason Graham, DB Will Johnson, DL Kenneth Grant and TE Colston Loveland are all currently projected to go in the first round of the way-too-early 2025 mock drafts.
Michigan undrafted free agent signings
DE Braiden McGregor (New York Jets); K James Turner (Detroit Lions); DB Josh Wallace (Los Angeles Rams); OL Trente Jones (Green Bay Packers); OL Karsen Barnhart (Los Angeles Chargers); OL Drake Nugent (San Francisco 49ers).