2024 NFL Draft recap: Michigan has 13 selections, sets new program record, UDFA tracker

The 2024 NFL Draft is in the books with 13 Michigan Wolverines selected, falling short of Georgia’s record of 15 selections in 2022. 18 players were invited to the NFL Combine, and the names that were not selected will likely come off the board as undrafted free agents.

The 13 selections are the official end of the Jim Harbaugh tenure in terms of players he sent to the NFL Draft. and the new program record, topping the 11 players that were selected in 2016. They fell just short of the record set by Georgia in 2022, who had 15 players selected.

Here is a recap of who went where from Michigan’s College Football Playoff Championship-winning squad.

QB J.J. McCarthy – Minnesota Vikings (10th overall, first round)

The Michigan quarterback got things started on night one. Some believed he might be a top-three selection and that the Vikings would need to trade up to get him, but they mostly stood pat and moved up one spot to grab their franchise quarterback.

“The confidence [in him] came from a process of really going through film study and the opportunity to get on campus with him for a full day in Ann Arbor and really try to dive into who he is as a player and where he’s at in his development,” head coach Kevin O’Connell told ESPN. “And ultimately confirm all the intangibles that I felt really strongly about.

DT Kris Jenkins – Cincinnati Bengals (49th overall, second round)

The next pick up was Jenkins, who came off the board on night two. He joins former teammates Chris Evans, DJ Turner, Daxton Hill and Brad Robbins in Cincinnati.

“Leverage, leverage, leverage. Every time I watched them play, pad level when he comes off the ball, fast hands, resets the line of scrimmage,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said. “Actually, he looked good rushing from a two-point stance when they moved him around and stood him up on the interior.

“Can they get him to finish now on the interior? That’s exactly what they need. They need interior pass-rush push. That’s what they haven’t had to go along with what Trey Hendrickson has been able to give them on the outside and Sam Hubbard on the other side. If they can develop his pass rush, if Lou Anarumo, the defensive coordinator, can get him to finish, it’s a perfect pick, in terms of what they needed.”

DB Mike Sainristil – Washington Commanders (50th overall, second round)

The heartbeat of Michigan’s defense, Sainristil went one pick after Jenkins and heads to the nation’s capital and has a chance to be one of the best nickel defenders in the game.

“Sometimes, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog — and this young man has a ton of fight in him,” Booger McFarland said on ESPN. “I think he’s the best nickel back in this draft, a guy that can play inside. If you play inside, you have to have no fear. Come up and make a tackle on a quarterback — it doesn’t matter if he’s 20, 30 pounds bigger than you, it doesn’t matter to Mike Sainristil.”

LB Junior Colson – Los Angeles Chargers (69th overall, third round)

The first of the Michigan picks to go to a team with Harbaugh ties, he will play for Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter in the middle of the defense in Los Angeles.

“He had some huge games,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper said. “Eleven tackles led the Wolverines against Ohio State, 7 of them were solos. The Big Ten championship game against Alabama, he was outstanding. Ten tackles against Alabama in the Rose Bowl, College Football semifinal. This kid comes to play every week, he’s consistent, he’s reliable. He gave Jim Harbaugh outstanding performances. He’s a guy that has the ability to play in 1985, certainly can play now. Get him in the third round, he’s my second-highest rated inside linebacker, off-ball linebacker.”

RB Blake Corum – Los Angeles Rams (83rd overall, third round)

Corum is back in Los Angeles, but with the Rams. He starred in the Rose Bowl, and now goes to the other team that plays inside of SoFi Stadium.

“Built like a bowling ball, Corum (5-7, 205) is strong, tough and durable,” The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman said. “He attacks the hole with incredible quickness and power that belies his frame. Corum set the Michigan single-season touchdown mark in 2023 with 27 scores and holds the Wolverines’ career touchdown record with 58. He will provide a nastiness to the Rams’ run game.”

WR Roman Wilson – Pittsburgh Steelers (84th overall, third round)

Wilson continued another run of Michigan players, this time in the third round and heads to a Pittsburgh organization known for its grit and physicality.

“Remember when [Toledo cornerback] Quinyon Mitchell got drafted and I said Mike Tomlin said [at Reese’s Senior Bowl practice], ‘Challenge yourself and go up against Roman Wilson’? Not only did he step up, so did Roman Wilson in this battles,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said on the broadcast. “Ultra, ultra competitive, strong hands and big time speed down the field. Used him on a lot of those over routes and crossing routes down the field. He showed at the Senior Bowl he’s got more to him. He’s got route polish, and ran every single route on the route tree. The Pittsburgh Steelers are celebrating this one. They got a playmaker here in a room that needed an addition.”

G Zak Zinter – Cleveland Browns (85th overall, third round)

The third pick in a row that went in the direction of a Wolverine, Zinter went higher than most projections given his injury. However, his tape probably suggests he should have gone higher. Regardless, one of the heartbeats of the team is headed to the dreaded state of Ohio.

“Zinter is a powerful interior offensive lineman whose skill set and size fit perfectly with Michigan’s power running scheme,” his PFF profile reads. “He carries a lot of weight in his upper half, giving him good power to push people at contact and latch on to maintain blocks. Despite his lack of weight in the lower half, he anchors well. He is a below-average athlete when it comes to movement and flexibility. His size is his best attribute in pass protection, but he is also patient as a pass-blocker.”

TE AJ Barner – Seattle Seahawks (121st overall, fourth round)

Barner was the first pick of the third day in the Motor City, heading to play for former Michigan defensive coordinator and new Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald.

“Sneaky well-rounded TE who wasn’t a major part of the passing offense at Michigan but flashed when featured,” CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso wrote, grading the pick an A. “Not fast but changes gears and is flexible, so has separation ability. Textbook, solid blocker with power and great hand-placement consistency. Some YAC ability too because of contact balance. I like this add.”

G Trevor Keegan – Philadelphia Eagles (172nd overall, fifth round)

The other star Michigan guard came off the board in the fifth round, but ESPN’s Louis Riddick thinks he was undervalued as a prospect.

“I think he’s fantastic,” he said. “I don’t think there are any issues. I know he only ran a 5.24 40, but I thought this guy if he could just stay down and not get too tall, especially against power, he can reach, get up and climb and get out to the perimeter and his competitive temperament, he has all of it. I put some choice words down here to describe his competitiveness. I can’t read them on TV, but I will tell you they are in support of Trevor Keegan. I thought he would be a starter his rookie season.”

LB Michael Barrett – Carolina Panthers (240th overall, seventh round

After a lengthy layoff, the winningest player in Michigan history came off the board to the Panthers in the seventh round.

“He just didn’t run as fast,” Jeremiah said. “If he would’ve ran a little bit faster — he ran that 4.7 flat 40. But he’s someone that was a stat stuffer, had 3 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. Really, really quick hands, can play off blocks. Thought he played faster than that 40 time, thought he could also cover running backs as well.

“This is another Michigan player. They play down hill. I mean, they are so aggressive. I’m excited to see this scheme with the Chargers next year with [former U-M defensive coordinator] Jesse Minter, because it just feels like they’re always playing forward, they’re always attacking.”

OL Ladarius Henderson – Houston Texans (249th overall, seventh round)

The run on Michigan players in the seventh round continued as it tried to make a late push for the record. Henderson, a Texas native, was selected by a Houston squad that could make a push for a Super Bowl this season.

EDGE Jaylen Harrell – Tennessee Titans (252nd overall, seventh round)

Harrell’s slide ended just before the end of the draft, heading to Nashville as a versatile defender who will push for a roster spot this fall.

WR Cornelius Johnson – Los Angeles Chargers (253rd overall, seventh round)

You just knew that Jim Harbaugh would take at least one more Michigan player in the draft. As the final draftee of Michigan’s 2024 class, he helped extend the new program record to 13 players selected.

Michigan’s undrafted free agents

• Center Drake Nugent is signing with the San Francisco 49ers, according to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network.
• Offensive tackle Trente Jones will join the Green Bay Packers, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
• Cornerback Josh Wallace is joining the Los Angeles Rams, according to MLive’s Aaron McMann.
• Offensive tackle Karsen Barnhart is joining Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers, per Adam Schefter.
• Defensive end Braiden McGregor set to join the New York Jets.
• Kicker James Turner signing with the Detroit Lions.