Jim Harbaugh saved the best for last.
Michigan finished 15-0 and won the national championship in 2023 – the program’s first national title since 1997. Harbaugh left Michigan for the same job with the Los Angeles Chargers, and a potential record-setting draft class will follow him to the NFL.
J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum are part of a loaded draft class that could challenge the record of 15 players drafted by Georgia in the 2022 NFL Draft. SN’s Vinnie Iyer projects 13 Michigan players to be selected in his latest seven-round mock draft.
The Wolverines have had double-digit classes under Harbaugh before. Michigan had 11 players drafted in 2017 and 10 players in the 2020 NFL Draft.
This class is different. McCarthy – who finished 27-1 as a starter – is a projected first-round pick. Cornerback Mike Sainristil and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins are on the fringe of Day 1 status, and Corum should be a Day 2 running back. There are several Wolverines in this class who will stick at the next level.
Here's a closer look at where each player might land in the 2024 NFL Draft and how that compares to their ranking on SN's latest Big Board.
MORE: Big board top 200 | 7-round mock draft | Mock with trades
Michigan-only NFL mock draft 2024
QB J.J. McCarthy: No. 11, Vikings
- Big board ranking: No. 24 overall (No. 4 QB)
McCarthy’s rise up the draft board has made him a polarizing pick, but he could push into the top 10. McCarthy does not have the lofty statistics of other QBs in the draft, but that was due, in part, to Michigan’s run-first offense. McCarthy is comfortable in drop-back or play-action mode, and he had a 54.3-percent completion percentage with 706 yards, 10 TDs, and one interception on passes of 20 yards or more. Overall, McCarthy had 49 TDs and 11 interceptions in three seasons at Michigan. He's a good decision-maker who can extend plays – sometimes too much – but the leadership qualities are there, too. McCarthy will have a decade-long career in the NFL, but there will be a learning curve.
CB Mike Sainristil: No. 49, Bengals
- Big board ranking: No. 51 overall (No. 9 CB)
Sainristil (5-9, 182 pounds) – a converted receiver – was the star in the Wolverines’ secondary. His all-around talent was evident, shown by 2023 stats in just his second season on defense: Six INTs, two pick-sixes, 44 total tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles. He's a hard hitter who made plays at opportune times whenever the Wolverines needed it, and he ran a 4.47 in the 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’ll start out as a nickel back in the NFL and will have the opportunity to work into a starting role.
DT Kris Jenkins: No. 54, Browns
- Big board ranking: No. 56 overall (No. 6 DT)
Jenkins (6-3, 299 pounds) developed into a force on the interior for the Wolverines. He tested well at the NFL Combine with a 29 on the bench press, but it might not be enough to push him into the first round given the depth at the position in this year’s draft. Jenkins was part of a loaded position group that included Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, both of whom could be first-round picks in 2025. Jenkins has the NFL lineage, as his father Kris was a second-round pick and four-time Pro Bowl selection who enjoyed a 10-year NFL career. With the right fit, history might repeat itself.
RB Blake Corum: No. 66, Cardinals
- Big board ranking: No. 72 overall (No. 2 RB)
Corum (5-8, 205 pounds) has a chance to be the first running back selected in this year’s draft. He ran a 4.53 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. There are valid questions about his size and injury history given the knee surgery he had at the end of the 2022 season, but he has great vision and lateral quickness and simply knows how to score TDs. Corum had 3,737 rushing yards on 5.5 yards per carry and 58 TDs in his career at Michigan. He is comparable to Devin Singletary, who has carved out a nice career in Buffalo and Houston the past five seasons.
Terrific vision and feel from Michigan RB Blake Corum on this run. pic.twitter.com/16RNUogSNS
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) July 29, 2023
LB Junior Colson: No. 70, N.Y. Giants
- Big board ranking: No. 74 overall (No. 3 LB)
Colson (6-2, 238 pounds) bypassed the 2023 NFL Draft, a move that didn’t impact his draft stock much. He averaged 98 total tackles and 60 solo tackles for the Wolverines the past two seasons, and he has the prototypical size to be a three-down linebacker. He allowed one TD in coverage last season – but that was in coverage against Marvin Harrison Jr. Colson is a sound linebacker who will have a chance to start at some point early in his career.
WR Roman Wilson: No. 90, Cardinals
- Big board ranking: No. 77 overall (No. 17 WR)
Wilson (5-11, 185 pounds) was a hit at the Senior Bowl – especially for this one-handed catch – and he tested well at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash and a 10-yard split of 1.52. He had 48 catches for 789 yards and 12 TDs for the Wolverines as McCarthy’s favorite target. He improved dramatically as a deep threat. According to PFF, Wilson had a 66.7-percent catch percentage on passes of 20 yards or more, which was good for 311 yards and six TDs. Wilson will fit in as a slot receiver and has the look of a Day 2 steal given the right landing spot.
G Zak Zinter, G: No. 102, Seahawks
- Big board ranking: No. 113 overall (No. 9 guard/center)
Zinter (6-6, 309 pounds) was a unanimous All-American in 2023 after a strong season on the interior for the Wolverines. He was the best offensive lineman on two units that won the Joe Moore Award, and he had 42 starts at right guard. Zinter suffered a broken tibia and fibula in the victory against Ohio State – a nasty injury that still requires rehab. Zinter would have been a Day 2 pick otherwise – and still might be despite the injury.
WR Cornelius Johnson: No. 148, Raiders
- Big board ranking: No. 137 overall (No. 25 receiver)
Johnson (6-3, 212 pounds) ran a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, and he was a three-year starter at Michigan. Johnson had 47 catches on 66 targets last season, and he is an excellent stalk-blocker on the perimeter. He is best remembered for his four-catch, 160-yard, two-TD performance against Ohio State in 2023, but he will need to improve his route-running skills to get more playing time in the NFL.
C Drake Nugent: No. 154, L.A. Rams
- Big board ranking: No. 161 overall (No. 14 guard/center)
Nugent (6-1, 298 pounds) took advantage of his one season at Michigan after transferring from Stanford. He allowed one sack and had just two penalties for the Wolverines, and he improved as a run-blocker with the Wolverines. He's a Day 3 value pick with upside.
Man this is nice from Drake Nugent, the track is perfect. doesn’t even let himself look back until he climbs. Then finish! Excellent work. pic.twitter.com/sAe3hcmon9
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) January 4, 2024
LB Michael Barrett: No. 179, Seahawks
- Big board ranking: No. 181 overall (No. 12 linebacker)
Barrett (5-11, 233 pounds) played six seasons at Michigan. Barrett improved against the run over the past two seasons. He had 19 pressures and three sacks, and he was good in coverage with three pass breakups. Barrett was a team captain and leader at Michigan, and he brought toughness to the back seven. He will have to fight to earn a roster spot.
TE A.J. Barner: No. 192, Seahawks
- Big board ranking: No. 195 overall (No. 9 tight end)
Barner (6-6, 245 pounds) was a classic Harbaugh tight end who will fit at the next level in double-tight sets, especially in the red zone. Barner had 22 receptions on 32 targets for the Wolverines, including an eight-catch, 99-yard performance against Michigan State. He will stick as a blocking tight end and potential special teams player early in his career.
G Trevor Keegan: No. 205, Lions
This would be a sixth-round, hometown pick for the Lions. Keegan (6-5, 310 pounds) started in 37 games the past three seasons at left guard for a dominant offensive line. He didn’t allow a sack from the interior last season as a fifth-year senior and improved as a run blocker. He will likely start out in a reserve role.
LB Braiden McGregor: No. 244, Cowboys
McGregor (6-5, 257 pounds) will get a shot as a seventh-round situational pass rusher after strong performances in the Big Ten championship game against Iowa and Rose Bowl against Alabama. Overall last season, he had 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss off the edge. He’ll have to prove it in the preseason to stick on the roster.
