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Where will Michigan RBs Donovan Edwards, Kalel Mullings be picked? Analyst offers projected round for NFL Draft

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•about 10 hours•

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Donovan Edwards
Michigan Wolverines football running back Donovan Edwards is part of the winningest senior class in program history. (Photo by Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Michigan Wolverines football has two running backs at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this week, and they’re both interesting prospects. Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards play with different styles but may both be mid-round picks come April’s draft in Green Bay.

The 6-foot-2, 233-pound Mullings enjoyed a breakout season in 2024, becoming the Wolverines’ featured back and leading rusher. After rushing only 50 times combined in the previous two seasons, he racked up 948 yards and 12 touchdowns on 185 attempts, putting up 79 yards per game.

Mullings runs with great power, accumulating 657 of his rushing yards after contact and forcing 38 missed tackles. He also broke away for 11 runs of 50-plus yards, showing his speed and big-play ability.

“Kalel Mullings was a fun one to me,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on a conference call. “You kinda go into the year, and Donovan is the one who’s on the video game and has all the attention and all the eyeballs. And I know he didn’t quite have the year he wanted, but Mullings, for someone that’s 227 pounds, I thought he had vision, I thought he ran with balance, he can push the pile. 

“I love the fact he never put the ball on the ground — he didn’t fumble. The ‘SC game was the first one I watched. He’s got the stiff arm on the long run to set up his touchdown at the end of that game to really pull out one that they might not should have won. He was able to lead the charge there.

“Not a factor in the passing game with only 6 catches, so that’s something that we’ll see if that impacts where he goes.”

Where will Mullings end up in the draft? Michigan’s lead back is not a top-10 running back prospect according to different analysts, but he could be picked in the mid to late rounds.

“I have him more in that fourth-round range,” Jeremiah revealed.

Edwards, meanwhile, has a “similar grade,” according to Jeremiah. The 6-foot-1, 212-pounder has had multiple breakthrough performances throughout his career. He had 2 long touchdown runs against Ohio State in 2022 and another pair of breakaway scores versus Washington in the national championship game in 2023. There were other big games, but he didn’t have the production that Mullings did, rushing for 589 yards and 4 touchdowns on 128 attempts and adding 18 receptions for 83 yards and a score last season.

“You’ve got some flashes with him this year,” Jeremiah said of the Michigan standout. “He flashed the power. He’s another one who’s got a nice little stiff arm. He catches the ball out of the backfield. I just thought he didn’t run with a lot of wiggle, and I didn’t quite see the same burst that I was hoping to see.

“The Senior Bowl was better, but he’s someone that I don’t think this year you saw his best. I’m hoping that’s gonna show up wherever he lands, and we’ll see the younger version of him.”

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