Where Michigan football prospects landed in post-Super Bowl mock draft sim

Michigan football retained much of its critical pieces from the 2022 team to return for one more year, but it still projects to be a heavily-represented batch of players in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The East-West Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl are in the rearview mirror. The NFL Combine is in late February. With football season over and most NFL teams turning their attention to the offseason, now is the meat and potatoes time of the pre-draft process.

With that in mind, here is a look at where the Michigan prospects went in our first simulation using The Draft Network‘s updated mock draft machine.

39. Indianapolis Colts: DJ Turner, cornerback (Second Round)

NFL Draft evaluators have been higher on DJ Turner than some of the grades and the eyeball test results from the 2022 season. He was rock solid across the board, posting a 77.4 overall grade on Pro Football Focus and grabbing one interception on the year. Turner’s tape in the back half of the 2021 season was impressive, but it seemed this year his tackling was a bit inconsistent. Despite that, more than a few outlets have him as a potential first-round prospect. Our latest simulation still has him as the highest-ranked Michigan prospect in the class, but coming off the board near the top of the second round.

43. Cleveland Browns: Mazi Smith, defensive tackle (Second Round)

Mazi Smith headlined Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” ahead of the 2022 season and has been underrated in his role. He is a powerful, stout, athletic nose tackle that has been rock solid in all areas, even if he does not have one standout straight. Smith does a lot of the dirty work for his defensive linemates and is a tone-setter upfront, especially in the run game. He would have a chance to be an instant starter for the Cleveland Browns.

130. Cincinnati Bengals: Olu Oluwatimi, center (Fourth Round)

Olu Oluwatimi walked out of the season with All-America honors and the Rimington and Outland awards. He was the rising tide that has lifted up everyone’s play around him on the offensive line and helped Michigan win the Joe Moore Award for the 2nd year in a row. Oluwatimi was arguably the best center in college football and his physicality and intangibles should make him a long-time fixture on someone’s offensive line.

138. Buffalo Bills: Mike Morris, EDGE (Fourth Round)

Some draftniks had Mike Morris as a borderline first-round prospect at points in 2022, but injuries limited him late in the year. He brings a ton of value as a player that can rush from the edge and also kick inside and rush from the interior. Morris might lack the explosion that teams want from their EDGE rushers, but he could find a role in a defensive line rotation somewhere.

139. Indianapolis Colts: Ronnie Bell, wide receiver (Fourth Round)

The NFL is going to love what it gets in Ronnie Bell. A tough and productive receiver at Michigan, he also can find a role as both a kick and punt returner. Bell is probably a slot receiver at the next level, but his ability to get himself open and move the chains should make him plenty of money at the next level. 

143. Cleveland Browns: Ryan Hayes, offensive tackle (Fifth Round)

Ryan Hayes was a bit of a forgotten man on last year’s team and was arguably the least “impressive” offensive lineman of the 2021 bunch. This year, his play was steady and he did an outstanding job of protecting McCarthy’s blind side, playing his best football at the right time. Per PFF, Hayes allowed only 11 pressures this season and no sacks.

189. Los Angeles Rams: Luke Schoonmaker, tight end (Sixth Round)

There are some who seem to think that Luke Schoonmaker can go much higher than this due to his well-rounded skill set and sure hands. Michigan likes to spread the ball around in the passing game, which makes it tough for anyone to flash huge chunks of production on film. Schoonmaker has the look of a guy that can stick as a TE2 or TE3 at the NFL level.

236. Pittsburgh Steelers: Gemon Green, cornerback (Seventh Round)

Michigan was able to develop Gemon Green into one of the better cornerbacks in the Big Ten over the last few seasons. His length and athleticism are two of his biggest strengths, but he does have issues at times getting his head around on deep balls.