ESPN’s longtime NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. released his final pre-draft rankings on Tuesday, and it’s filled with Wolverines.
Kiper ranked his top 150 players in the class and the best prospects at every position. This was not a mock draft projecting which teams would take which players, but rather a straight ranking.
Five former Michigan football players made the top 100 and five others appear on the position rankings. The first round of the draft will take place on Thursday night.
Kiper has Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham as the No. 3 player on his board, behind only Colorado wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter and Penn State outside linebacker Abdul Carter.
“I love Graham’s technique,” Kiper wrote. “His leverage gives him an advantage at the point of attack, and interior offensive linemen struggle with his power and quickness. Graham has strong and active hands, and he has proved effective against the run and pass from inside. He had two sacks against Minnesota in September but managed just 1.5 the rest of the season.”
The next Wolverine on Kiper’s board is cornerback Will Johnson at No. 11, the second-best corner behind two-way star Hunter. “Johnson is so instinctive in coverage, and his ability to read quarterbacks jumps out when you watch him,” Kiper wrote. “He has great quickness in his transition, allowing him to make plays on the ball.”
Kiper cited Johnson’s nine career interceptions and the fact that he missed Michigan’s final six games with a toe injury and skipped the school’s pro day due to a hamstring injury.
One spot behind Johnson is tight end Colston Loveland. “If you are looking for a tight end who can consistently stretch the deep middle part of the field, Loveland is your guy,” wrote Kiper, who ranked Loveland behind only Penn State’s Tyler Warren at the position.
“He averaged 8.3 air yards per target over three college seasons. The QB play was subpar for Michigan, which limited Loveland. But he is a difficult matchup for defenses, and he averaged nearly nine targets per game.”
If teams follow Kiper’s rankings, Michigan will set a program record with four first-round picks, as Kiper has defensive tackle Kenneth Grant ranked No. 30. Per Kiper’s rankings, Michigan had the two best defensive tackles in the country last season.
Outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart, who played the last two seasons at Michigan after two at Coastal Carolina, checks in at No. 94 in Kiper’s final rankings. He’s the ninth best outside linebacker.
A handful of other Wolverines made Kiper’s position-specific rankings, including two running backs: Kalel Mullings (No. 27) and Donovan Edwards (29). Edwards, over his four-year career, had some huge performances in Michigan’s biggest games. Mullings was the primary ball carrier last season and a more steady contributor.
Kiper listed a pair of Michigan offensive linemen, ranking Myles Hinton at No. 19 among tackles and Josh Priebe No. 29 among guards. Kiper ranked William Wagner as the second-best long snapper in the draft. Long snappers are rarely drafted; the most recent was Michigan’s Camaron Cheeseman, who was selected late in the sixth round in 2021.
