JD PicKell: Michigan feels good about their development on defense to replace NFL departures

In order for Michigan to make its way back to the College Football Playoff, Jim Harbaugh’s squad will have to replace a ton of their pieces off the 2021-22 team. Especially on defense.

Obviously, Heisman finalist and No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft, Aidan Hutchinson, was the game changer for the Wolverines on the defensive line. Perhaps the best pass rusher to ever suit up in the blue and maize. By far the best player on the team a year ago. There’s an argument to be made that Hutchinson’s blitzing running mate David Ojabo was the second best player on the team. The two wreaked havoc in offensive backfields all year.

Had Ojabo not suffered an Achilles tear — the worst possible injury in football — at the tail end of the season, Michigan would have had three first round picks. Instead, he went in the second to the Ravens.

Let’s not forget the other first-rounder from Michigan. Toolsy and athletic safety Daxton Hill was taken by the Cincinnati Bengals with the penultimate pick of the first round. And many draft experts pegged him as a top-15 overall player in the class. That UM defensed just oozed talent.

However, according to On3’s JD PicKell, the Wolverines aren’t all that worried about reloading. In fact, they’re more than confident in the guys they’ve been developing underneath the aforementioned stars. Here was PicKell’s take on the Michigan defense on the On3 YouTube channel.

“On defense, they lost a lot. It’s no secret they lost two dynamic edge rushers. However, they’re excited about the new faces ready to step up. Junior Colson, a guy they expect to potentially be the best player on defense for them this coming year.

“Obviously, you lost some things. That’s okay. Michigan feels good about what they have coming up. They say…yeah, okay, nationally, we know that you think we lost this that and the other. We did, but we’ve been developing. This is a chance for Michigan’s development within their program to take center stage. So that’s the case there.”

Other than Colson, there may not be many specific names to point to yet as the next stars of the program. But with their recruiting efforts in recent years coupled with the in-house development they showcased with guys like Hill, Ojabo and Hutchinson, Harbaugh’s staff is confident new stars will emerge this fall. As is On3’s JD PicKell