2016 NFL Draft Preview: Michigan Wolverines

Jake Rudock

The 2016 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. I’m not the world’s biggest draft junkie (you can only have so many obsessions in your life), but I am always enthralled by the first round of the NFL Draft. Other than the Super Bowl, it’s my favorite single NFL day of the year . . . depending on whether the Lions are in the playoffs or not, which is usually not. Tomorrow night I’ll be headed to a friend’s house where a half dozen of us will eat pizza, drink cold beverages, and make fun of each other’s favorite teams.

Several Michigan Wolverines will be on the board, but none will be taken on Thursday, barring a huge surprise. With their Combine and pro day numbers in mind (LINK), here’s a look at Michigan’s representatives in the Draft and some slightly educated guesses about where they’ll go:

Graham Glasgow, C
Glasgow is 6’6″, 307 lbs. and did 23 reps on the bench at the Combine. He ran a 5.13 forty and a 4.63 shuttle time. He also performed well playing both guard and center at the Senior Bowl. He will almost certainly get drafted, but probably not as the top center. It will be interesting to see whether his multiple off-the-field issues with alcohol will cause him to slide.
Best guess: Rd. 3, #87 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals

Willie Henry, DT
Henry stands 6’2″, 303 lbs. and did 28 reps on the bench at the Combine. He ran the forty in 5.0 seconds and a 4.53 shuttle. He also showed a 30.5″ vertical and a 9’2″ broad jump. Henry has good quickness off the ball and can be a playmaker, but he’s a little bit inconsistent. He struggled to hold up at times on the interior because of leverage issues, so he’s more of a 3-tech or an undersized end in a 3-4.
Best guess: Rd. 4, #106 overall to the Chicago Bears

Hit the jump for more on the expectations for Michigan’s outgoing seniors.

Jake Rudock, QB
Rudock was 6’3″, 207 lbs. at the pro day and ran a 4.85 forty. He showed a 9’3″ broad jump and a 4.22 shuttle. As a fifth year senior at Michigan this past season, he led the Big Ten in completion percentage (64%) and had the fourth-most yards (3,017), despite having the sixth-most attempts. Over the last six games of the year, he threw 15 TDs and just 3 INTs. He earned a start in the East-West Shrine Game, but he went 8/14 for 77 yards, 0 TDs, and 1 INT. Jim Harbaugh has stumped for him to get a shot in the NFL, and I think he will almost certainly be a highly sought after free agent if he doesn’t get drafted. Pro teams want pro-style guys, and there aren’t a lot of programs running the type of offense Michigan runs. I think it might be homerism to think that Rudock gets drafted, because he doesn’t have great size, arm strength, or athleticism. But I do think he’s a quality prospect who could make a career as a backup or spot starter. I see someone like Brian Hoyer still hanging around the NFL, so I see no reason why Rudock won’t get a fair shot.
Best guess: Undrafted

Sione Houma, FB
Houma is 5’11”, 243 lbs. and ran a 4.87 at Michigan’s pro day. He did 27 reps on the bench and ran a 4.46 shuttle. He was used as a part-time tailback as a senior, along with earning a split of fullback duties with Joe Kerridge. Houma has the ability to step onto an NFL team and become a lead blocker/combo back, although fullback is not a highly valued position in the NFL these days.
Best guess: Undrafted

James Ross III, LB
Ross is 5’11”, 232 lbs. and ran a 5.01 forty. He did 22 reps on the bench press, but he had a subpar showing with a 26″ vertical, a 4.62 shuttle, and an 8’9″ broad jump. Ross was very physical for his size, but his testing numbers don’t show great athleticism. I do think he’s more athletic with pads on than those numbers suggest, but the truth is that all three of Michigan’s senior inside linebackers leave something to be desired in that department. He made 188 tackles, 16.5 TFLs, and 3 sacks during his four years on the field. Some team might want him as a weakside linebacker, but I think he’s a backup due to limited size and speed.
Best guess: Undrafted

Jarrod Wilson, S
Wilson is 6’1″, 209 lbs. and notched a 4.55 at Michigan’s pro day. He also had a 36″ vertical and a 9’10” broad jump, plus a 4.43 shuttle and 17 reps on the bench. As a senior last year, he made 61 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 INTs. Wilson turned into a solid safety, especially as a run supporter, but he avoided being taken advantage of in the passing game as an upperclassman. He doesn’t have great measurables, but he does have a similar body to a player like Jamar Adams, who managed a few years in the NFL as a backup and/or practice squad player.
Best guess: Undrafted

Desmond Morgan, ILB
Morgan measured in at 6’0″, 231 lbs. at the pro day. He ran a 4.91 forty and a 4.19 shuttle while doing 21 reps on the bench press. Morgan is a heavy hitter and team leader who was Michigan’s most consistent linebacker. He might fit in the NFL as an inside linebacker, but he’s probably a career backup type of player.
Best guess: Undrafted

Mario Ojemudia, DE
Ojemudia tore his Achilles in early October and was denied an extra year of eligibility. He measured in at 6’2″, 255 lbs. at the pro day and did 20 reps on the bench, but he was otherwise unable to test due to his lower body injury. At his size he looks more like an outside linebacker, but a lack of elite athleticism makes him a tweener as an OLB/DE. He was not highly productive at Michigan but put up decent numbers (17.5 TFLs, 8 sacks over four seasons). He would have been a reach to get drafted pre-injury, and his inability to work out for teams probably sealed his fate. But he could be an UDFA signing.
Best guess: Undrafted

Joe Kerridge, FB
The 6’0″, 245 lb. Kerridge was the best lead blocker on the team, though a slightly less adept runner than Houma. He ran a 4.89 forty at the pro day, did 24 reps on the bench, and ran a quick 4.23 shuttle time. He has good hands and actually slipped a couple long runs up the middle throughout his career, but he’s a less versatile prospect than Houma. Kerridge is a more traditional, straight-ahead fullback.
Best guess: Undrafted

Joe Bolden, LB
At Michigan’s pro day, Bolden was 6’1″, 230 lbs., ran a 4.95 forty, and did 17 reps on the bench. He had a 9’4″ broad jump, a 35″ vertical, and a 4.5 shuttle. Bolden was mildly productive at Michigan, making 185 tackles over the last two years. He was not a standout, though. He was a captain this past season, but running just .05 seconds faster than Henry sums up his level of athleticism.
Best guess: Undrafted

Royce Jenkins-Stone, LB
Jenkins-Stone’s pro day saw him measure in at 6’1″, 238 lbs. and run a 5.0 forty. He did 25 reps on the bench, showed off a 30.5″ vertical, broad jumped 9’4″, and did a 4.49 shuttle. He made 40 tackles, 6 TFLs, and 3 sacks during his senior year when he earned his first significant playing time, mostly after Ojemudia got hurt. Jenkins-Stone played mostly as an outside linebacker after being recruited as an inside guy, but he’s too light and sawed-off to be an outside linebacker at the next level. His lack of production and his mediocre athletic skills mean he’s probably not on many teams’ draft boards at all.
Best guess: Undrafted

Which of these guys get drafted and where? Am I being pessimistic with just two Wolverines getting picked?

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