Michigan LB Junior Colson projected to have 'instant impact' with Los Angeles Chargers

Michigan Wolverines football standout Junior Colson was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the third round in the 2024 NFL Draft at No. 69 overall, becoming U-M’s highest-drafted inside linebacker since Devin Bush in 2019 (No. 12 overall). Colson was the first of two Wolverines to be selected by head coach Jim Harbaugh, who coached at U-M from 2015-24, and the Chargers, with wide receiver Cornelius Johnson being the other (seventh round).

Colson wasn’t just drafted high, he’s expected to play a significant role for the Chargers right away. In fact, NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter listed Colson on his preseason 2024 NFL All-Rookie Team as an “instant-impact” player. He was one of 11 defenders to make an appearance.

“It seemed like a given that Jim Harbaugh would draft at least one of his former Michigan standouts this year, so seeing Colson land with the Chargers was no surprise,” Reuter wrote. “He should be in the mix from Day 1, filling running lanes and chasing backs to the outside whether it’s a stretch play or a throw to the flat. I expect him to crack the 100-tackle mark this season.”

The Athletic‘s Daniel Popper, a Chargers beat writer, feels the same way. He listed Colson as a starter at inside linebacker alongside Denzel Perryman in his post-NFL Draft depth chart projection. The familiarity with the defensive scheme, with Harbaugh bringing coordinator Jesse Minter with him from Michigan to Los Angeles, is a big reason why.

“He is already fluent in Minter’s scheme, after playing in it the past two seasons at Michigan,” Popper wrote. “I think that gives him a leg up in earning a starting job in camp. He could end up wearing the green dot to begin the season as the Mike linebacker.”

Harbaugh, though, doesn’t believe Colson will wear a green dot and be the point of contact from the coaches to the players on the field, even if he will have a big role.

“It was great. Junior knows the defense so well,” Harbaugh said of Colson’s performances in rookie minicamp. “It’s an incredible thing. I’m not saying he’s going to be wearing any dots or anything any time soon — probably not the first year — but he’s literally making all the calls. He’s making all the linebacker calls … he’s making DB calls right now. The safeties that are making calls are getting them mostly right — I’d give them an ‘A’ — but the ones that they miss on, Junior will make the call and correct the call for safeties, which is awesome.

“Meeting with the linebackers, [position coach] Navarro [Bowman] would ask the questions and then Junior would give the right answer. It finally got to the point where, ‘Somebody other than Junior answer this next question.’ It’s safe to say he knows it, he’s on it and it’s a great thing for our team.”

Minter spoke about adding Colson at his press conference in June.

“That was special, just in a sense of Junior and I’s relationship first and foremost,” Minter said of the draft pick. “Seeing all those guys from Michigan that you’ve had a chance to work with for a couple years, certainly have the success that we had, to see all those guys achieve their dreams over those couple days was really special.

“And then for one of them, to be able to call him and be on the phone call like, ‘Dude, we’re bringing you here. This is stuff we’ve talked about now for a year in my office when nobody else was around.’ So just really happy for him, proud of him.

“And getting a guy in the middle of the defense that knows how we play, knows how we operate, knows the scheme. Tremendous competition in that room. I think it’s one of our deeper rooms, of multiple guys that have played key snaps in this league, and then you bring in a guy like Junior and how he played in college. I’m really excited to see how that shakes out. But certainly very excited to add Junior to the mix.”

Colson (and Harbaugh, Minter, etc.) helped Michigan finish 15-0 with a national championship in 2023. Colson was named second-team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media and tabbed as the winner of the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which is presented annually to the college football defender who’s “best in character and performance.” He also took home hardware for being Michigan’s “toughest player.”