Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Jake Ryan

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29Sep 2016
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Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Jake Ryan

Jake Ryan (#47)

Green Bay Packers linebacker Jake Ryan made 6 solo tackles and 3 assists (9 total) in a 34-27 win over the Detroit Lions. As painful – though expected – as it was for Lions fans to watch, it was a nice job by Ryan, who has carved out a starting role for the Packers.

Honorable mention:

  • Philadelphia Eagles DE Brandon Graham had 1 sack in a 34-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He now has 3 sacks on the season.
  • New York Giants CB Leon Hall, in his first year with the team after coming over from the Bengals, had 4 tackles and 1 pass breakup in a 29-27 loss to the Washington Redskins

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3May 2015
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Poll results: Which Michigan player(s) will get drafted in the 2015 NFL Draft?

Frank Clark

Several days ago, I asked which Michigan players would get drafted. Here are the results of the poll:

Devin Funchess: 95%
Funchess went in the 2nd round (#41 overall) to the Carolina Panthers.

Jake Ryan: 93%
Ryan went in the 4th round (#129 overall) to the Green Bay Packers.

Frank Clark: 67%
Clark went in the 2nd round (#63 overall) to the Seattle Seahawks.

Devin Gardner: 11%
Gardner signed an undrafted free agent deal as a wide receiver with the New England Patriots.

Raymon Taylor: 1%
Taylor went undrafted and has not signed with an NFL team.

Other: 1%
—————

Notes on a few other guys:

– Defensive end Brennen Beyer signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

– Outside linebacker Josh Furman, who played safety at Michigan before transferring to Oklahoma State for his fifth year, was drafted in the 7th round (#252 overall) by the Denver Broncos.

– Cornerback Delonte Hollowell signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Detroit Lions.

– Running back Thomas Rawls, who played his senior season at Central Michigan, signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks.

2May 2015
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2015 NFL Draft Results: Big Ten

Brandon Scherff was the first Big Ten player taken. He went #5 to the Washington Redskins.

For those of you interested in how the Big Ten is doing in the NFL Draft, here’s a rundown of all the Big Ten prospects taken. Ohio State led the conference with five draft selections, while Michigan State and Minnesota had four each.

ILLINOIS

INDIANA
3rd: Tevin Coleman – RB – Indiana

IOWA
1st: Brandon Scherff – OG – Redskins
3rd: Carl Davis – DT – Ravens
4th: Andrew Donnal – OT – Rams*

MARYLAND
5th: Stefon Diggs – WR – Vikings*
6th: Darius Kilgo – DT – Broncos

MICHIGAN
2nd: Devin Funchess – WR – Panthers*
2nd: Frank Clark – DE – Seahawks*
4th: Jake Ryan – LB – Packers*
7th: Josh Furman – LB – Broncos*#

MICHIGAN STATE
1st: Trae Waynes – CB – Vikings
4th: Jeremy Langford – RB – Bears
5th: Tony Lippett – WR – Dolphins
5th: Keith Mumphery – WR – Texans


MINNESOTA
2nd: Maxx Williams – TE – Ravens
4th: Damien Wilson – LB – Cowboys
5th: David Cobb – RB – Titans
5th: Cedric Thompson – FS – Dolphins

NEBRASKA
2nd: Ameer Abdullah – RB – Lions*
2nd: Randy Gregory – OLB – Cowboys
5th: Kenny Bell – WR – Buccaneers

NORTHWESTERN
4th: Ibraheim Campbell – SS – Browns
7th: Trevor Siemian – QB – Broncos


OHIO STATE
2nd: Devin Smith – WR – Jets*
3rd: Jeff Heuerman – TE – Broncos*
4th: Doran Grant – CB – Steelers*
6th: Michael Bennett – DT – Jaguars*
6th: Evan Spencer – WR – Redskins


PENN STATE
2nd: Donovan Smith – OT – Buccaneers
5th: Adrian Amos – FS – Bears
5th: Jesse James – TE – Steelers

PURDUE
5th: Ryan Russell – DE – Cowboys

RUTGERS
3rd: Tyler Kroft – TE – Bengals
5th: Michael Burton – FB – Lions

WISCONSIN
1st: Melvin Gordon – RB – Chargers*
2nd: Rob Havenstein – OT – Rams

#Played his fifth year at Oklahoma State
*Offered by Michigan

29Apr 2015
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2015 NFL Draft Preview: Michigan

Devin Funchess will likely be the first Michigan player selected in this year’s NFL Draft

As the NFL Draft approaches on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, we are bound to see a couple Michigan players’ names called. From 2009-2014, Michigan has been going back and forth between having two and three players drafted (LINK). If that trend continues, just two of these players will be selected. Linked to each player’s name is their senior profile, in which I detail some of their workout numbers and a projection.

Devin Funchess, WR: Funchess is the one guy who might sniff the first round, but it would take a leap of faith by a daring team. A wide receiver with a tight end body, he has never been a plus blocker despite being much taller and heavier than the corners and safeties he has faced. When Michigan actually played him at tight end during his freshman and sophomore seasons, he was downright terrible as a blocker. However, he is large and fairly fast and has a 38.5″ vertical. I would not advise a team to take him as a tight end because he doesn’t have the blocking chops, but he’s a guy who can be a mismatch problem for a team that likes to be creative and use multiple tight ends.
My wild guess: 2nd round (#44 overall) to the New Orleans Saints.
Other good fits: Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, New England Patriots

Hit the jump for a rundown of Michigan’s other draft-eligible players.


Jake Ryan, LB: Ryan is a guy who could play SAM linebacker in a 4-3, inside linebacker in a 3-4, or outside linebacker in a 3-4. Personally, I like him on the edge in a 3-4 system, where he can use his playmaking skills to keep contain, rush the passer, and make things happen. He does not have great measurables and doesn’t have a ton of experience on the inside, but if a team is willing to spend some time developing him, I think he could be one of those guys who develops into a starting-caliber inside linebacker, too. Ryan also holds some value as a guy who could be an asset on special teams.
My wild guess: 3rd round (#74 overall) to the New York Giants
Other good fits: Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans

Frank Clark, DE: I did not do a senior profile for Clark, whose domestic abuse issues got him kicked off the team late in his senior year. Clark is a big character risk, as he has had multiple run-ins with the law during his college career. As much as you hope guys overcome these issues, my view is that if it costs Clark a job, there is quite possibly someone more deserving who can take the hundreds of thousands of dollars (or millions of dollars) that he would potentially earn. He was a fairly consistent player during the second half of his junior season in 2013 and then most of 2014, but he was never consistently great and the production didn’t match up to the practice hype. I think he has probably maxed out his frame at a little over 270 lbs. and he’s only 6’2″, so he might be somewhat limited. A team might want to trim off a little weight and make him a 3-4 rush linebacker, or a 4-3 team could use him as a weakside end. I think his inconsistency and lack of elite athleticism will hinder him, if not his off-the-field issues.
My wild guess: 6th round (#205 overall) to the Indianapolis Colts
Other good fits: Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders

Devin Gardner, WR/QB: Gardner has resigned himself to the fact that he will almost surely have to play wide receiver if he wants to have an NFL career. At Michigan’s pro day in March, he measured in a little over 6’3″ and 218 lbs. He ran a 4.65 forty, did 15 reps on the 225 lb. bench press, showed off a 35.5″ vertical, broad jumped 9’9″, and ran the 20-yard shuttle in 4.42 seconds. Those numbers are solid but not amazing. Considering the fact that he is changing positions and does not have blazing speed, his options may be limited. However, there are other quarterbacks who have made the transition from quarterback to wide receiver in the NFL quite well – Josh Cribbs, Julian Edelman, Bert Emanuel, etc. Those guys generally seem to be smaller, quicker guys who can get open in the middle of the field, not big guys who can go against NFL corners – arguably the best athletes on the field – and win one-on-one battles. I think Gardner is going to struggle with the move to receiver, but he has size, leadership, toughness, and character on his side. I do not expect him to get drafted, but some team will pick him up as an undrafted free agent

Raymon Taylor, CB: Taylor ran a reported 4.42 forty at Michigan’s pro day, which is too fast to be believable. He’s probably more of a 4.55 or 4.6 guy. Measuring in at a hair under 5’10” and 182 lbs., he’s a little on the small side, too. Taylor made some highlight-reel plays in 2013, but he also got burned at times and did not create a ton of turnovers. He will almost surely not get drafted, so his best bet is to latch on as an undrafted free agent and hope he can make an NFL squad.

Brennen Beyer, DE: Beyer was not extremely productive at Michigan despite being a two-year starter, and he did not help himself out much during a pro day in which he ran a 4.87 forty (keep in mind that those times are typically faster than Combine times, so he’s probably more of a 5-flat guy) and did 20 reps on the bench press. At 6’4″ and 256 lbs., he already seemed to have hit his limit since he struggled to even maintain that weight. His size indicates an NFL outside linebacker, but he lacks the speed to play that position in the NFL and doesn’t offer much as a special teams player. He won’t get drafted, and even if he gets a shot as a free agent, I doubt he will stick with a team.

Will Hagerup, P: Hagerup had an up and down career as Michigan’s punter. At times he would look great, and at other times, he would look mediocre. Suspended frequently for off-the-field behavior, he averaged just 36.0 yards/punt as a sophomore in 2011 and had an uninspiring 42.9-yard average as a fifth year senior this past year. He’s another one who will not get drafted, but he might get invited to a camp. Punters are very transient in the NFL, and guys go from starting NFL punter to standing in the unemployment line on a weekly basis.

Delonte Hollowell, CB: I really only mention Hollowell here because he was the “star” of Michigan’s pro day with a reported 4.34 forty, a 37″ vertical, 20 reps on the bench press, and a 10’1″ broad jump. None of that will get him drafted, because he was ineffective on the field and never became a starter at Michigan. I doubt whether he’ll even get an invitation to a training camp.

Other seniors include:
Joey Burzynski, OG 
Jack Miller, C
Matt Wile, K

8Apr 2015
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Jake Ryan, #47

HIGH SCHOOL
One of the few 2010 recruits to stick with Michigan for an entire college career, Ryan was a Rivals 3-star and the #30 inside linebacker coming out of Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius. He had a handful of MAC offers before committing to the Wolverines in January of 2010. Brady Hoke – who was at San Diego State – somewhat famously took a pass on recruiting Ryan, who would end up being perhaps Hoke’s best defensive player at Michigan. Here’s my commitment post on Ryan from January 2010 (LINK), and I named him the most underrated recruit in that class (LINK).

COLLEGE
When Ryan entered college, he was considered a bit of a project after missing a chunk of his junior year in high school due to injury. It was assumed he would redshirt, and redshirt he did while Rich Rodriguez and Greg Robinson played around with the 3-3 stack. When Hoke was hired and brought in Greg Mattison, Ryan became a SAM outside linebacker and changed from #37 to #90. He made an immediate wow play in the 2011 spring game when he jumped in front of a Devin Gardner pass and returned it for a touchdown while wearing the #37 jersey. That fall he switched to #90 and earned the starting SAM job, and he would finish the season with 37 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries. That redshirt freshman season earned him some hype for a 2012 in which he did not disappoint. He made 88 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 pass breakups, earning Second Team All-Big Ten. With expectations shooting through the roof, he promptly tore his ACL in the spring of 2013. It was early enough that he was not ruled out for the entire season, so he returned mid-year and made 30 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup in an understandably mediocre campaign. Fully healed by his fifth year, Ryan moved to middle linebacker in a revamped defense and finished the 2014 season with 112 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 pass breakups, and his first career interception. He was named First Team All-Big Ten as a senior.

CAREER STATISTICS
267 tackles, 45.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 7 pass breakups, 1 interception (returned for 2 yards)

AWARDS
2011: ESPN and Big Ten Network Freshman All-Big Ten
2012: Second Team All-Big Ten, Roger Zatkoff Award (team’s top linebacker), #47 Legends jersey
2013: Team Captain, #47 Legends jersey
2014: Team Captain, Roger Zatkoff Award, First Team All-Big Ten, #47 Legends jersey

SUMMARY
For his career, Ryan ranks #17 in solo tackles, #3 in tackles for loss, and tied for #4 in forced fumbles. While he never had a truly dominant year, he was a very consistent player for Michigan every year except in 2013, when he hurried back after tearing that ACL. But “consistent” is not really what I think of when I think of Ryan. While he was reliable, he was one of Michigan’s best playmakers on defense – from blitzing to deflecting passes to keeping outside contain to forcing fumbles, he was the one guy that offenses generally had to worry about on a play-to-play basis. He has never wowed anybody with his measurables, but he simply found a way to make plays over and over again. Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Greg Mattison said several times throughout Ryan’s career that he had an unorthodox way of playing the linebacker position, but he got the job done. Ryan would sometimes get his lower body out of position but find a way to redirect and make the tackle, or he might leap over a blocker, or he might sidestep a blocker instead of taking him on directly. Michigan’s defense has been lacking stars in recent years, which you realize when you think about walk-on safety Jordan Kovacs being the biggest fan favorite since Brandon Graham wore the winged helmet in 2009. Ryan is the closest thing to a bona fide stud for the Wolverines since Graham terrorized Big Ten opponents in Rich Rodriguez’s second year.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . his very first college game when he started at SAM linebacker, moved inside occasionally to blitz, and destroyed Western Michigan’s quarterback while causing an interception that was returned 94 yards for a touchdown by Brandon Herron. That was the first sign – and it happened immediately – that we might have something special in Ryan.

PROJECTION
Ryan projects to linebacker in the NFL, although it’s unclear exactly where he will play. He could be a 3-4 outside linebacker, a SAM linebacker in a 4-3, a middle linebacker in a 4-3, or an inside linebacker in a 3-4. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.65 forty, did 20 reps on the bench at 225 lbs., broad jumped 10′, showed off a 34.5″ vertical, and had a 4.2 shuttle time. I think he’s best as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 look because he can rush the passer and has a knack for hemming guys in on the edge, and I think he fits as a SAM in a 4-3 look. I do not think he has the athleticism to be a star in the NFL, but I do think he can carve out a long career if he stays healthy.