Michigan linebacker Junior Colson goes to Los Angeles Chargers in the third round

Michigan linebacker Junior Colson didn’t have to wait long to have his name called in the 2024 NFL Draft. Colson went to Los Angeles Chargers in the third round of the draft after moving up draft boards in the last several weeks.

Tom Pelissero of NFL.com predicted Colson could go as high as the first round, in fact.

“As my colleague Daniel Jeremiah noted recently, this isn’t a good year to need off-ball linebackers,” Pelissero wrote. “But if one player at that position sneaks into Round 1, it might be the 21-year-old Colson, who led the national champion Wolverines in tackles for the second straight season in 2023 with 95. He also won the Lott IMPACT (Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, Tenacity) Trophy last season — an honor that went to a pair of top-three picks (Aidan Hutchinson and Will Anderson Jr.) in the previous two years. Colson has good size at 6-2 1/4, 238 pounds. He’s also a PFF (Pro Football Focus) favorite, as one of just six FBS linebackers to boast 80-plus grades in run defense and coverage in 2023 (min. 600 snaps).

“Colson didn’t participate in drills and testing at the combine because of a hamstring injury suffered in training, and a busy string of visits — including to the Cowboys, who served as his medical recheck — made it impractical to ramp up training again in time to work out at Michigan’s pro day. But he played in all 43 games (36 starts) over three seasons at Michigan, despite battling a foot injury in 2022 and breaking his left hand in 2023, forcing him to play in a cast. (He also wore a splint on his right hand down the stretch of last season.) Value will be the question, but Colson profiles as the definition of a safe pick.”

The ESPN draft broadcast broke down Colson’s game after he was picked by his head coach from Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, who’s now leading the Chargers.

“He’s an old-school linebacker, off-ball linebacker at 6-2, 238 pounds,” analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. “The read and react ability, you saw it time in and time out with this kid. He aggressively fills holes off the edge, drops into coverage, he’s a good tackler. Now, you want to see some more big-play production. Two tackles for loss, zero sacks, no interceptions or forced fumbles, but he led the Wolverines with 95 tackles overall.

“He had some huge games. Eleven tackles led the Wolverines against Ohio State, 7 of them were solos. The Big Ten championship game against Alabama, he was outstanding. Ten tackles against Alabama in the Rose Bowl, College Football semifinal. This kid comes to play every week, he’s consistent, he’s reliable. He gave Jim Harbaugh outstanding performances. He’s a guy that has the ability to play in 1985, certainly can play now. Get him in the third round, he’s my second-highest rated inside linebacker, off-ball linebacker.”

“He’s super smart. He’s gonna be the MIKE ‘backer, a guy that can be the green dot and set the tone and tempo of the culture that Jim Harbaugh wants,” analyst Booger McFarland added. “He understands the type of culture that he wants to set in LA, and here’s a guy that can do that on the defensive side of the ball.”

Colson played in all 14 games as a freshman in 2021 to earn freshman All-America honors. He notched 101 tackles and earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades as a sophomore, underwent offseason foot surgery and played through a hand injury in 2023. He was named second-team All-Big Ten again, regardless, with 95 tackles, two TFLs, and two pass breakups.

AthlonSports projected him as a top three linebacker, predicting future success.

“The primary responsibility of a linebacker is to tackle, right? If you agree, then you’re going to be a big fan of Colson,” they wrote … “love his closing burst, his tackle radius, his functional strength, and how well he wrestles down ball-carriers. He hits like a sledgehammer, but also shows discipline as a form tackler in head-up situations.

“He moves better than you’d expect and has the ability to be disruptive. He can run. He’s been productive around the ball carrier. That alone is the foundation of a future NFL starter.”