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2024 NFL Draft Results: Michigan

Here are the results of the 2024 NFL Draft for Michigan players:

2024
1st round: J.J. McCarthy – QB – Minnesota Vikings (#10 overall)
2nd round: Kris Jenkins, Jr. – DT – Cincinnati Bengals (#49)
2nd round: Mike Sainristil – CB – Washington Commanders (#50)
3rd round: Junior Colson – LB – Los Angeles Chargers (#69)
3rd round: Blake Corum – RB – Los Angeles Rams (#83)
3rd round: Roman Wilson – WR – Pittsburgh Steelers (#84)
3rd round: Zak Zinter – OG – Cleveland Browns (#85)
4th round: A.J. Barner – TE – Seattle Seahawks (#121)
5th round: Trevor Keegan – OG – Philadelphia Eagles (#172)
7th round: Michael Barrett – LB – Carolina Panthers (#240)
7th round: La’Darius Henderson – OG – Houston Texans (#249)
7th round: Jaylen Harrell – DE – Tennessee Titans (#252)
7th round: Cornelius Johnson – WR – Los Angeles Chargers (#253)

Jenkins joins a Michigan-heavy defense with the Bengals, who spent a first round pick on S Daxton Hill a couple years ago and a second round pick on CB D.J. Turner II in 2023.

The Chargers are coached by former Michigan head man Jim Harbaugh, who drafted Colson and Johnson, both of whom play positions of need for the team. The Seahawks are led by Mike Macdonald, whose lone pick from Michigan (A.J. Barner at #121 overall) didn’t overlap with Macdonald’s one season at defensive coordinator in 2021. Barner transferred from Indiana for the 2023 season. However, former Michigan assistant coach Jay Harbaugh is on Seattle’s staff.

The following players signed undrafted free agent contracts with NFL teams:

Karsen Barnhart – OG – Los Angeles Chargers
Trente Jones – OT – Green Bay Packers
Braiden McGregor – DE – New York Jets
Drake Nugent – C – San Francisco 49ers
James Turner – K – Detroit Lions
Josh Wallace – CB – Los Angeles Rams

McGregor is the biggest draft snub of these players, in my opinion. At 6’5″ and 257 pounds, I thought he showed adequate enough production and athleticism to get taken somewhere prior to the end of the draft. He was injured as a senior in high school and took a few years just to get back on track. I always thought he should have stayed in college one more year to continue ascending since 2023 was his first year as a starter; perhaps with that previous injury, he thought this might be the best time to try to make a jump for the NFL rather than risking another year in college.

Additionally, three former Wolverine signees were taken in the draft:

1st round: Xavier Worthy – WR – Kansas City Chiefs (#28)
4th round: Erick All – TE – Cincinnati Bengals (#115)
6th round: Joe Milton – QB – New England Patriots (#193)

Worthy signed with Michigan but was unable to enroll, so he transferred to Texas. All played at Michigan for three seasons (2020-2022) before transferring to Iowa in 2023. Milton spent three years in Ann Arbor (2018-2020) and then spent the next three seasons (2021-2023) at Tennessee.

J.J. McCarthy taken in 1st Round of 2024 NFL Draft

The Minnesota Vikings traded up one spot in the 2024 NFL Draft to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. He was taken #10 overall after the Vikings swapped picks with the New York Jets, who moved down to #11 and took Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu.

McCarthy is the highest drafted quarterback to ever come out of Michigan, topping his head coach in college, Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh was taken #26 overall in the 1987 draft by the Chicago Bears. McCarthy is also the first Michigan quarterback to be selected since Jake Rudock (6th round, #191 overall by the Detroit Lions) in 2016.

McCarthy went 27-1 as a starter at Michigan over 2022 and 2023, with the lone loss coming to TCU in the 2023 College Football Playoff. He threw for 6,226 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions from 2021-2023. He set Michigan records for completion percentage in a season (72.3% in 2023) and in a career (67.6%) and won a national championship in 2023.

Of the quarterback-needy teams in the 2024 draft, I felt like Minnesota was the best fit for McCarthy. McCarthy’s main competition to start will be journeyman Sam Darnold, but they have a good cast of weapons that includes standout wide receivers (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison), an upper-echelon tight end (T.J. Hockenson), and a productive running back (Aaron Jones). I would like to see the Vikings beef up their running game with a complementary running back and/or some offensive line help, but they may address those issues in the draft or in subsequent years.

2024 Mock NFL Draft

It’s that time of the year for another mock NFL Draft. Here are my guesses for how the draft shakes out. If I guess wrong, oh well. And if I guess right? I’m a genius. That’s just how it works.

1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams – QB – USC
Why? He seems to be the consensus choice here. This one seems obvious.

2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels – QB – LSU
Why? A few months ago, I never would have believed that Daniels would hop ahead of Maye to be QB#2, but again, it seems to be the case.

3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye – QB – North Carolina
Why? Some people are running the angle of taking J.J. McCarthy as “another Michigan Man” to fill the shoes of Tom Brady, but when I’ve tried to make those connections in the past, it just rarely seems to work out that way. Maye is a bigger prospect, too, and I think some are concerned about McCarthy’s sturdiness.

Hit the jump for more.

2026 Recruiting Update: April 23, 2024

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2026

Mount Zion (IL) Mount Zion tight end J.C. Anderson was offered by Michigan following a weekend visit to Ann Arbor. He’s a 6’7″, 230 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Tennessee, among others.

Woodberry Forest (VA) Woodberry Forest wide receiver Dyzier Carter was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’0″, 180-pounder with offers from Indiana, Maryland, Miami, and Tennessee, among others; I mention Indiana in that group mainly because his brother Dequece, also a wide receiver, transferred to Indiana. Dyzier is a 4-star, the #10 wide receiver, and #63 overall.

Knoxville (TN) Catholic wide receiver Tyreek King was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’10”, 165 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Kentucky, Louisville, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #31 wide receiver, and #206 overall to Rivals.

Boca Raton (FL) West running back Javian Mallory was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 200-pounder with offers from Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #7 running back, and #109 overall according to Rivals. As a sophomore in 2023, he had 131 carries for 1,415 yards and 18 touchdowns, plus 22 catches for 438 yards and 6 scores.

Dunlap (IL) Dunlap tight end Mack Sutter was offered by Michigan. Sutter is a 6’5″, 215 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Iowa, Ole Miss, and Penn State, among others.

MISCELLANEY

Here’s a list of visitors from this past weekend (LINK).

Nathaniel Marshall, Wolverine

Oak Park (MI) Fenwick defensive lineman Nathaniel Marshall committed to Michigan on Monday morning. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio State, and USC, among others.

Marshall is listed at 6’4″ and 265 lbs.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 83 grade, #4 DT, #78 overall
On3: 4-star, 93 grade, #6 DL, #71 overall
Rivals: 4-star, #1 SDE, #21 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, #11 DL, #73 overall

Hit the jump for more.