2022 NFL Draft profile: Michigan linebacker Josh Ross
With an elite pass rush in 2021, Michigan football just needed some stability in the middle of its defense. Josh Ross provided that in his fifth season with the program, starting all 14 games at inside linebacker.
Ross appeared in 50 career games with the Maize and Blue and was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree (2018, 2021). He was also a two-time team captain and recipient of the Team Blue Collar Award after the 2018 season. Ross finished his Michigan career
Here is a look at what he could bring to the NFL this offseason.
Josh Ross’ info
Height: 6-1
Weight: 225 pounds
School: Michigan
Position: Linebacker
Projected: Late-round pick/UDFA
Pro Day Results: 4.81 40-yard dash | 3-cone: 7.65 | Shuttle: 4.60 | 33.5 inch vertical jump | Did not broad jump | 17 reps of 225 pounds on bench
Strengths
There likely are not many prospects in the class that bring as much from an intangibles standpoint. Ross was a high-IQ, vocal leader for the Wolverine defense throughout his career. His teammates loved him and he was one of the more cerebral players on the roster at Michigan. Ross also plays physical and is a sound tackler. He spent five years in college, so there is not a whole lot Ross has not seen at this point. He also does a good job keeping his eyes in the backfield and playing downhill to stop the run. Ross understands the assignment when it comes to pass coverage. That said, nobody would mistake it for a standout trait of his.
There were more talented and productive players on Michigan’s defense, but he made the guys around him better by simply being out there. Those that push back against that game should watch the Rutgers game last year and see what happened when he left due to injury. Michigan did a not job using him more in pass-rush situations from the inside backer spot.
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Weaknesses
Ross is undersized and limited athletically. His pro-day 40-yard dash was slower than the one he ran at the combine and he does not have a stand-out trait outside of intangibles. His hips are too tight in pass coverage, but he does an adequate job of moving laterally. Ross misses too many tackles and gets sucked in on play-action passes. His lack of size and length is going to hurt him, especially if he gets engaged with blockers that can extend against him. Grit and intensity took him a long way at Michigan, but he has too much working against him to be a three-down linebacker at the next level.
Josh Ross overview
There is certainly a role for Ross in the NFL, it just might be limited. If a coaching staff asks him to jump, he will ask, “how high?” Whoever brings him in is going to get an A-plus guy from an intangibles standpoint. He might have a shot somewhere as a special teamer, but the film shows a player who is a bit limited. Ross is not the best athlete, more does he have a trait to hang his hat on from a skills perspective.
Ross was at his best at Michigan when he was asked to be a heat-seeking missile, whether that be stuffing the run or sending him as a blitzer. Any value he provides to the NFL probably looks like that in a depth role. There might not be a team of teams that have a draftable grade on him, but his intangibles and Michigan connections should get him a camp look somewhere. Anyone who has spent time around Ross will tell you he has a future in football. It might just be as a coach as opposed to a long-time pro. But he is an easy player to root for and wold be a culture addition for anyone who took a shot on him.
