Seven Michigan players land on Mel Kiper Jr.'s 2023 NFL Draft big board

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his updated 2023 NFL Draft big board Dec. 8, which includes 25 prospects. No Michigan Wolverines football players made the top 25, but U-M did make seven appearances on Kiper’s position rankings, with six of the seven being named top five. He listed his top 10 prospects at each spot.

Here’s a look at where Michigan’s representatives checked in.

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Olusegun Oluwatimi: No. 2 center

Michigan graduate center Olusegun Oluwatimi, a Virginia transfer, was one of three finalists for the Rimington Trophy, handed to the nation’s top center, in 2021, then won it with the Wolverines in 2022. He was also named the Outland Trophy award winner, presented to the country’s best interior lineman on either side of the ball.

An alternate team captain, Oluwatimi was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches. He hasn’t given up a sack in pass protection all season and his 82.5 PFF run-blocking grade ranks fifth nationally among centers.

Only Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz ranked ahead of Oluwatimi on Kiper’s list. In last year’s draft, one center went in the first round, and another in the second round (No. 51 overall pick). That indicates that Oluwatimi is likely a Day 1 or 2 selection come spring.

Zak Zinter: No. 3 guard

Michigan junior guard Zak Zinter is one of two Wolverine underclassmen to make Kiper’s list, joining junior running back Blake Corum. He was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten pick in 2022 and an honorable mention honoree in 2021.

His 75.7 overall PFF grade ranks tied for ninth in the Big Ten among guards. He’s allowed up just 7 pressures, including 1 sack, this season.

Three offensive guards were taken in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, including two within the top 20 choices (Nos. 15 and 17). The top eight guards were picked before the fourth round.

Mike Morris: No. 3 outside linebacker

Michigan senior EDGE Mike Morris showed up at No. 22 overall on Kiper’s big board back on Nov. 3 but was not in the top 25 this time around. He did slot as the third-best outside linebacker, however, behind Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. and Army’s Andre Carter II.

Morris ranks second in the Big Ten with 7.5 sacks on the season, despite missing two of the final three games. The Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year played only 11 snaps during that span, seeing some time early versus Ohio State before shutting it down. His 11.1 pressure rate ranks 15th in the country among edge rushers and his 23.8 pressure rate in true pass sets slots second among the same group.

Edge rushers are one of the most valuable positions in the NFL, and that’s reflected in the draft. Five defensive ends were chosen in the first round in 2022, including the top two picks and three of the top five. It’s important to note that Kiper Jr. lists 10 defensive ends and 10 outside linebackers, but the positions are somewhat interchangeable in many cases. There were 12 edge rushers taken within the first three rounds.

Jake Moody: No. 4 specialist

Michigan graduate kicker Jake Moody won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top place kicker last season. Michigan’s all-time leader in field goal makes has connected on 66 of his 81 career attempts with a 54-yard long and also handles kickoff duties.

The Michigan kicker was a consensus All-American in 2021 and selected as a second-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation this season.

Kiper combined kickers and punters, so Moody was actually the second highest rated kicker to appear on his position rankings. On average, there are one-to-two place kickers selected per NFL Draft. Last year, the Cleveland Browns took LSU’s Cade York in the fourth round. He was the highest-drafted kicker since 2016. Most are chosen in the fifth round or later.

Blake Corum: No. 5 running back

Corum missed most of the last three games with an injury but still finished with 1,463 rushing yards (eighth in the country) and 18 rushing touchdowns (tied for fourth) on the year. Corum has 22 runs of 15-plus yards, picked up 96 first downs (second nationally among running backs) and forced 73 missed tackles (tied for eighth).

He was named first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and the Football Writers Association of America, and a Doak Walker Award finalist. The consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting.

He’s out the remainder of the season with a knee injury that required surgery. That could affect his NFL Draft preparation should he declare following his junior campaign.

Just four running backs have been selected in the first round in the last four NFL Drafts combined. None went in the opening round in 2022. The fifth-ranked player at that position last year, a spot the Michigan back currently holds, per Kiper, was the No. 93 overall pick, going late in the third round.

Mazi Smith: No. 5 defensive tackle

Michigan senior defensive tackle Mazi Smith has had an outstanding season, ranking sixth on the Wolverines’ defense with 45 tackles, including 2.5 behind the line of scrimmage and a half-sack from his nose guard spot, taking on frequent double teams. He was a consensus pick for first-team All-Big Ten.

Two defensive tackles came off the board in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The No. 5 defensive tackle was picked late in the third round, No. 95 overall. Thirteen players from the position were chosen before the sixth round.

Brad Robbins: No. 10 specialist

Michigan graduate punter Brad Robbins checked in as Kiper’s No. 5 punter. He averaged 42 yards per punt on 38 attempts this season with a 62-yard long, 8 boots of 50-plus yards and 13 pins inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Robbins appears to be on the outside looking in when it comes to getting drafted, but just barely. There were four punters drafted in 2022 and four in 2018, as well. It’s hit or miss, though, with only one taken in 2021, two in 2020 and two in 2019.

Just missed the cut

Kiper revealed some players that “just missed the cut” at their respective positions. Michigan players in that category were graduate left tackle Ryan Hayes, graduate EDGE Eyabi Okie and senior cornerback DJ Turner.