Two seasons ago, the University of Michigan rode a stalwart, all-time great defense toward its first national championship since the 1997 season. A handful of those players moved on to the 2024 NFL Draft, including defensive lineman Kris Jenkins (Bengals), cornerback Mike Sainristil (Commanders) and linebacker Junior Colson (Chargers) as top 100 picks. This year’s Wolverines did not reach those same heights, but they had a few players that may get drafted in the first round this year who played on that national championship defense.
Defensive linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, along with cornerback Will Johnson, all have a chance to go in the first round this year — despite Michigan having a down year compared to the standard they set in 2023.