Daniel Jeremiah big board: Michigan star falls out of top-50 before NFL Combine

The Michigan Wolverines contingent of draft hopefuls head to Indianapolis to boost their stocks at the 2025 NFL Combine. Analyst Daniel Jeremiah seems to single out a player who has a lot to gain from this week’s meetings and workouts.

That man is EDGE Josaiah Stewart, who is out of the NFL.com analyst’s pre-combine top 50 after making the last edition at No. 46 overall. His NFL.com profile compares him to Azeez Olujari of the New York Giants.

“Stewart falls below the classic size threshold as a 3-4 outside backer, but it might not matter much,” his profile reads. “He plays with all-day aggression and thirst for contact. He’s a decisive, linear rusher with the get-off and bend to win at the top of the rush, but he turns speed into power if tackles get too light on their feet. His entries of attack are fairly predictable and he needs to diversify his moves and counters. He’s violent at all contact points but is occasionally engulfed or knocked around some by size. The instincts are average but his pursuit range and closing burst can compensate. Despite a lack of size and length, the right ingredients are in place for Stewart to become an impactful starter within his first few years in the league.”

Stewart is considered undersized for his position, which could push him down boards a bit. Stewart totaled 30 sacks and 147 pressures in four seasons, two at Coastal Carolina (2021-22) and two at Michigan (2023-24), one of the most productive pass rushers in the nation. This past season, he racked up 33 total tackles and 8.5 sacks with the Wolverines.

Of course, Michigan has plenty of representation at the top of the board with defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, cornerback Will Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland. Each of them are inside the top-20 of Jeremiah’s pre-combine rankings.

Here’s what Jeremiah had to say about the four Michigan stars firmly in first-round consideration.

Defensive tackle Mason Graham: No. 4 overall

What Jeremiah said: “Graham is a powerful defensive tackle with outstanding leverage and instincts. He’s one of the most consistent players in the draft class. Against the run, he has an impressive short-area burst to attack blockers. He excels in block destruction. He stacks, finds the ball, chucks blockers to the side and collects tackles. He has lateral range to make plays down the line, too. He is always in a leverage position and never gets uprooted. In the pass game, he has a violent club/rip move and a powerful bull rush. His effort is outstanding. Overall, it’s easy to identify Graham as a former wrestler. He always has a full gas tank and he set the tone for the entire Michigan defense.”

Tight end Colston Loveland: No. 7 overall

What Jeremiah said: “Loveland is a long, lean tight end with outstanding awareness, quickness and big-play ability. He has aligned in-line, as a wing and in the slot. He’s urgent in his release. He has a tremendous feel for option routes and working in space. He can cleanly get in/out of breaks and he presents a big target to the quarterback. He attacks the ball in the air and is adept at finishing in crowds. After the catch, he has a smooth stride and possesses a nasty stiff-arm. He has some wiggle to make defenders miss, as well. His lack of bulk impacts his ability to stay connected as a run blocker, though. Overall, Loveland is equipped to make a lot of catches as a starting tight end in his rookie campaign.”

Cornerback Will Johnson: No. 11 overall

What Jeremiah said: “Johnson is a big cornerback with easy/fluid movement skills and excellent instincts. He played outside and in the slot at Michigan. In off coverage, he’s very smooth and relaxed. He doesn’t panic, settles on routes and can find/play the ball. He had an impressive flat-footed read against USC that he turned into a pick-six. He has the size/length to press and match up with bigger wideouts. The two issues that showed up in his 2024 game tape were inconsistency as a support player against the run and questions about his deep speed. He wasn’t ultra-aggressive to attack ball-carriers and he was run over multiple times. He can alleviate any concerns about his speed during athletic testing in the spring. Overall, Johnson isn’t a perfect player, but I do love his blend of size and ball skills.”

Defensive tackle Kenneth Grant: No. 20 overall

What Jeremiah said: “Grant is a massive defensive tackle with intriguing quickness and power. He’s very much a work in progress as a pass rusher. He flashes quick/violent hands to club/swim for wins, but far too often doesn’t have a plan and stalls out. He hasn’t learned to harness his strength to bull rush and consistently collapse the pocket. That should be at the top of his agenda this coming season. He’s a very dominant run defender. He easily holds the point of attack, despite playing with a high pad level. I love his effort and awareness to chase down screens. If you want to see what Grant is capable of, watch Michigan’s game against USC from the 2024 season. His upside was on full display that day. Unfortunately, he couldn’t bottle that performance during an up-and-down season. Overall, there is some assembly required, but his physical tools are very loud and worth the investment.”