NFL Draft: Michigan football prospects still on the board on final day

The 2022 NFL Draft is entering its final stages with the fourth through seventh rounds playing out on Saturday. Michigan football has sent a trio to the next level in EDGE Aidan Hutchinson (Detroit Lions), safety Daxton Hill (Cincinnati Bengals) and EDGE David Ojabo (Baltimore Ravens) so far this weekend.

Hutchinson was the No. 2 overall pick in the first round and stays close to home as the team’s next defensive face of the franchise. Hill found himself with a Super Bowl contender in the Bengals and came off the board at No. 31 overall. Ojabo’s Achilles injury sent him tumbling down the board, but he landed in a familiar spot with former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

Saturday will be where the bulk of the Michigan contingent winds up being selected, likely towards the back half of the day. Players to keep an eye on earlier Saturday are running back Hassan Haskins and offensive lineman Andrew Stueber. Boards start to get a little crazy on the final day of the draft. It is possible someone could slide up – or down – unexpectedly.

Here is a look at the Wolverines still on the board and where they are projected to land. Saturday’s fourth through seventh rounds run from 12-7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast via ESPN and NFL Network.

Running back Hassan Haskins (Projected 4th-6th round)

Profile: Haskins suffered an ankle injury in the Orange Bowl and has not done a ton of pre-draft work on the field this spring. He was invited to the Senior Bowl but pulled out to rehab the injury. He only did the bench press at the NFL Combine and there were no reported testing numbers from Michigan’s pro day. Haskins’ draft stock has taken a hit because of it, but teams need only put on the tape to see what they are getting.

If you want him to go run through a defender, he has it covered? Pass protection? He does well in that area. Special teams? Haskins did it at Michigan. A lack of burst and home run ability hurts him, but he is a lunch-pail player that would do well as a second running back in a rotation. Haskins is the consummate Jim Harbaugh running back and a lot of what he does should translate to the next level. When you get into the middle rounds, it becomes all about fit. Haskins probably translates best to a power/gap scheme and a role that sees him primarily running between the tackles. He can handle whatever comes his way and will quickly endear himself to the team that adds him to the rotation.

Offensive lineman Andrew Stueber (Projected 5th-7th round)

Profile: Stueber feels like a right tackle prospect, but he has the attitude and competitive toughness to find a role wherever he goes. Most line coaches should be okay with some of his athletic limitations. Even Michigan helped him out here with tight ends chipping in the run game.

Stueber has taken steps this offseason to improve his standing. He cut about 15 pounds since the end of the season and has taken that seriously. He does seem like he would fit the best playing for someone that runs a power/gap scheme. Stueber is at his best when tasked with simply mauling what is in front of him.

Stueber brings good technique, a high football IQ and a mean streak to the next level. That alone warrants consideration as a developmental prospect. He has a road to being a starter down the road with the position to be determined. At the very least, he should be able to stick as a key reserve lineman with some swing potential. Stueber is rock solid and should be able to stick on a roster somewhere.

Safety Brad Hawkins (Projected 7th round/UDFA)

Profile: Hawkins’ presence on Michigan’s defense was massively underrated during the 2021 season. His pro day numbers at Michigan were solid, so it has been a bit surprising to see draft analysts low on him. Hawkins did not receive an NFL Combine invite, so he had limited opportunities in the pre-draft process to showcase himself. He was a participant in the East-West Shrine Bowl week and met with teams at Michigan’s pro day.

Hawkins is a traditional strong safety prospect that is a functional athlete and fits the run well. He plays with the size and physicality demanded of the box safety role that he was thrown into. However, there might have been a more substantial role for him 10 years ago. His limitations (on paper) athletically and lack of playmaking ability seem to affect how teams ultimately view him. Hawkins should be able to stick as a special teamer, depth piece and potential subpackage defender at the next level. He is worth a late-round look, but will almost certainly wind up in a training camp somewhere.

Linebacker Josh Ross (Projected 7th round/UDFA)

Profile: 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.

Defensive tackle Chris Hinton (Projected 7th round/UDFA)

Profile: Hinton raised a lot of eyebrows when he decided to declare early for the draft, but he has remained steadfast in himself throughout the process. The problem is he does not have a standout trait anywhere and did not test all that impressively during pre-draft work. Some believe that he physically maxed out as a college player and that it severely limits his upside at the next level.

Hinton is likely a body that fills out the bottom of a roster while bringing scheme-dependent value as a run-stuffer in a defensive tackle rotation. Not enough else stands out on tape, but he does play mostly disciplined and has NFL pedigree running through his veins.

Cornerback Vincent Gray (Projected 7th round/UDFA)

Profile: Gray was steady for Michigan, but an all-time pass rush took pressure off of the guys on the backend. He wound up developing into a solid college corner, but there is plenty of work to do for him to hold up at the next level. What Gray does have going for him is strong footwork and technical prowess that is hard to teach. He is just going to have a tough time keeping up with some of the explosive athletes that will be thrown at him in the NFL.

Gray is fringe prospect, but still looks like someone that can crack a training camp roster and go from there. His ceiling at the next level probably comes down to filling out depth at the bottom of the roster. There is value in that, but he is not a corner that teams will want to park in zone coverage. His best fit will be somewhere that asks its corner to mix it up right at the LOS.

Wide receiver Daylen Baldwin (Projected UDFA/camp invite)

Profile: Baldwin was a true “lunch pail guy” and great teammate at Michigan. Opportunities to showcase his talent were slim, but he has been putting in work behind the scenes. Playing for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan likely helped develop some NFL contacts and there have been teams keeping an eye on him. If a team falls in love during the pre-draft process and has him as its little secret, one might jump the line to grab him late in the draft. It feels more likely that he gets an undrafted look or rookie camp invite and has to go from there. Baldwin has had to scratch and claw for his opportunity every step of the way. Maybe he still has it in him to do so with the NFL.

Should Baldwin find his way to the NFL, he likely rounds out the bottom of a roster spot or is stashed on the practice squad. With the USFL and XFL as options, he could also find a role there.