Tag: Ben Gedeon

2017 NFL Draft Preview: Michigan

Taco Charlton

Players are listed in order of how I expect them to get drafted.

1st ROUND

Taco Charlton – DE
Charlton didn’t particularly enjoy playing a 3-4 defensive end role in 2015 under defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, and he was more productive as a weakside end in 2016’s version of the 4-3.  He’s projected by NFL scouts as a 4-3 end, and mostly I’ve seen him pegged as going in the last third of the first round, though he has moved up to the middle third of the first round in some mock drafts over the last week or two.
Teams to watch: Saints, Bears, Dolphins, Falcons

Hit the jump for the rest of the draft preview.

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Michigan’s NFL Combine Winners and Losers

Amara Darboh

Fourteen Michigan players participated in the 2017 NFL Draft Combine. Without being in the interview room, here’s my take on who gained ground, who’s treading water, and who had a less than stellar performance:

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Michigan Players at the 2017 NFL Combine

Jehu Chesson (image via Twitter)

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Michigan has 14 players participating in the 2017 NFL Draft Combine. Take a look at a roundup of the results:

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Orange Bowl Preview: Michigan Linebackers vs. Florida State Running Backs

Dalvin Cook (image via Miami Herald)

Previously: QB vs. QB, Michigan RB vs. FSU LB, Michigan WR vs. FSU secondary, Michigan OL vs. FSU DL

MICHIGAN

Starters: Michigan’s top three tacklers are the three starting linebackers, and they rarely come off the field. The most well known is redshirt sophomore Heisman finalist Jabrill Peppers (6’1″, 205 lbs.), the SAM linebacker – a hybrid S/LB – who ended the regular season with 71 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 7 quarterback hurries. Peppers plays all over the place and will have his hands full with Florida State likely choosing to run right at him since he’s undersized for a linebacker. The leading tackler is 6’3″, 247 lb. senior middle linebacker Ben Gedeon. He made 98 stops (tied for #10 in the conference), 15 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks. Gedeon is much improved this season, a good athlete, a heavy hitter, and an effective blitzer. The WILL linebacker is 6’4″, 248 lb. redshirt junior Mike McCray II (71 tackles, 13 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 6 PBUs), who plays a lot like Gedeon, though he’s more instinctive in defending the pass. The trio makes for Michigan’s best linebacker corps in . . . a long time.

Key backups: Michigan doesn’t substitute much, but the most likely true linebacker to play is 5’11”, 232 lb. freshman Devin Bush (11 tackles, 0.5 TFLs), a backup WILL. Redshirt sophomore Brandon Watson (5’11”, 203 lbs.) will also likely play some on defense, and he’s a backup for Peppers at SAM, though he’s used more like a slot corner.

Hit the jump for a look at Florida State’s running game (a.k.a. Dalvin Cook).

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2016 Michigan Team Awards

Michigan held its annual Football Bust on Tuesday night, during which team awards are handed out for the season. Here are the awards:

BO SCHEMBECHLER MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

1. LB Jabrill Peppers
2. WR Amara Darboh
3. QB Wilton Speight
4. RB De’Veon Smith
5. CB Jourdan Lewis

HUGH R. RADER MEMORIAL AWARD (BEST OFFENSIVE LINEMAN): RT Erik Magnuson

RICHARD KATCHER AWARD (MOST VALUABLE DEFENSIVE LINEMAN): NT Ryan Glasgow, DT/DE Chris Wormley

ROGER ZATKOFF AWARD (MOST VALUABLE LINEBACKER): MLB Ben Gedeon

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER AWARD

1. QB Wilton Speight
2. WR Amara Darboh
3. LB Mike McCray II
4. CB Channing Stribling
5. DE Chase Winovich

SCOUT TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR

1. CB Anthony Dalimonte
2. RB Joe Hewlett
3. FB Joe Beneducci
4. OL Ben Pliska
5. DE/LB Reuben Jones

BOB UFER SPIRIT AWARD (MOST ENTHUSIASM AND LOVE FOR THE GAME): LT Grant Newsome

DR. ARTHUR D. ROBINSON SCHOLARSHIP AWARD (LEADING SENIOR-SCHOLAR):

1. LT Grant Newsome
2. CB Matt Mitchell
3. TE Ian Bunting
4. OL Greg Froelich
5. WR Jack Wangler

I think these awards are pretty spot on, though some are impossible to tell. I thought the Ufer and Robinson awards were supposed to go to seniors and Newsome is only a sophomore, but oh well. Some people might think that Peppers was a more valuable linebacker than Gedeon, but I agree that Gedeon was the most important guy in that position group only. Peppers’s value comes from him playing some linebacker, yes, but also from his various other positions. The other thing about Gedeon is that he rarely came off the field, partly because there was almost literally nobody else capable of playing MIKE except the starting WILL (Mike McCray). The next guy was converted walk-on defensive end Michael Wroblewski. It was important for Gedeon to stay on the field, and he did so while playing pretty well.

Do you have any quibbles?