Michigan football: Four Wolverines make Dane Brugler's updated top-100 NFL Draft prospect list
Michigan football’s prospects are currently preparing for the 2023 NFL Combine later this month. The end of the NFL and college seasons has allowed talent evaluators the opportunity to dive more into the film to get a sense of the type of players entering the class.
Four Michigan players cracked the updated top-100 list from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, headlined by defensive tackle Mazi Smith at No. 38 overall. This would put him just outside of the first round and into the early stages of day two of the NFL Draft.
“The No. 1 player on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, Mazi Smith has a rare combination of power and athletic traits,” Brugler writes. “He probably will never be a lineman who fills up the stat sheet, but he is an immovable object in the run game and has the heavy hands and upper-body strength to toss massive guards.”
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Smith, a former four-star recruit and top-100 prospect (On3 Consensus), was a captain this season at Michigan and one of the stalwarts of the defense. He started all 14 games for the Wolverines, finishing with 48 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. During his Michigan career, he played in 35 career games.
There was a dropoff from there with the next Wolverine coming in at No. 76 overall – cornerback DJ Turner. Brugler did not provide a writeup for him, but most outlets have labeled him a day two prospect.
“In all, an NFL team will be receiving one of the better cover corners in the 2023 draft class,” The Draft Network writes in his player profile. “Turner’s blend of athleticism, competitiveness, instincts, and coverage flexibility gives him a high floor and ceiling heading into the NFL. Turner looks his best in tight man-to-man coverage. This is where his quiet footwork and smooth transitions are an advantage. Teams that need a young cornerback that can step into the CB2 spot as a rookie will be happy with Turner.”
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Edge defender Mike Morris was next up on Brugler’s list, coming in at No. 85 overall. He ended the 2022 season ranked tied for second in the Big Ten with 7.5 sacks, leading the Wolverines, while adding 23 tackles, 11 of which came behind the line of scrimmage. He also recorded 4 quarterback hurries, 3 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble and 1 blocked kick.
“Morris has the makings of a three-down defender. Continuing to develop his pass-rush plan will be key to how he develops in the NFL,” The Draft Network writes. “I believe Morris has upside due to his alignment versatility, height, and weight. His versatility will allow a defensive coordinator to be a little creative with their DL games to impact opposing QBs. I project him to be more of a hand-in-dirt defensive end at the next level. I think he will be a rotational defender early on, with the chance to become a multi-year starter.”
Tight end Luke Schoonmaker rounded out Michigan’s representation on the list, coming in at spot No. 100. He was set to be part of one of the best tight end duos in the country with Erick All, but a back injury limited All to one game, making “Schoony” the default go-to guy at the position. He finished the season with 35 catches for 418 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The 2023 NFL Draft is set for April 27-29 from Kansas City, Missouri, this year’s host city. Round 1 will take place Thursday night, while Rounds 2 and 3 will play out on Friday. The draft concludes Saturday with rounds 4 -7. The draft will be broadcast via ESPN, ABC and NFL Network.
