Michigan football NFL Draft profiles: EDGE Mike Morris
Michigan football has earned a reputation as being a factory for pro-ready defensive linemen. Every starting EDGE rusher under head coach Jim Harbaugh and Mike Morris will likely continue that trend.
Morris appeared in 27 games with 16 starts in his Michigan career and was a second-team All-American by the FWAA and AFCA last season. He also won the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year award and had all 7.5 of his career sacks in 2022.
Here is a look at how Morris profiles to the next level.
Mike Morris background info
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 275 pounds
School: Michigan
Position: EDGE
Projected: 5th-6th round pick
Measurements (Combine): Height: 6-5, Weight: 275 lbs., Arm: 33 1/2″, Hand: 10″
Combine: Vertical jump: 28.50″, Broad jump: 9’2″, 40-yard dash: 4.95 seconds, Bench press: 22 reps
Measurements (Pro Day) Height: 6-5″, Weight: 274 lbs, Wingspan: 82″, Hand: 10″
Pro Day: Bench Press DNC, 40-yard dash: 5.08, Vertical jump: DNC, Broad jump: DNC, 3-Cone drill: 7.46, 20-yard shuttle: 4.65
Strengths
The thing that Morris will bring the most of to his next team is his versatility. He has the body type to bulk up and play inside but has also proven an ability to slim down and attack off the edge. On film, he shows a good ability to generate power and pack a wallop when striking offensive linemen. He has no issue taking on blockers and sets the edge extremely well in the run game. Teams also like his length and the way that he uses it to create advantages for himself.
Weaknesses
Morris was mostly a rotational piece at Michigan until last season and some have raised concerns about a lack of production over the course of his career, citing that he sometimes runs hot at cold. Right now, Morris relies mostly on power and length and needs to develop better pass-rush moves to counter what offensive linemen throw at him. The movement numbers have not been good in testing, and his 40-yard dash time got worse between the combine and pro day. There is often a trait to hang your hat on as an EDGE defender but Morris does not really have one other than brute force, which is easily matched in the NFL. He has some work to do to round himself into a contributor.
Mike Morris overview
Morris had a disappointing pre-draft process from an athletic testing standpoint, but that does not mean the league is out on him at all. All the numbers do is force a team to either confirm what it sees on tape or to ask more questions and do more digging. Over the last several weeks, NFL franchises have been doing just that with the Michigan product. Last year, Morris said he wanted to take on the mantle left behind by Aidan Hutchinson. For half the year, he was tremendous before an injury slowed him up down the stretch.
Teams are going to want to see him be more consistent and stay healthy. Because of his ability to play the edge while also kicking inside, he is scheme flexible and that makes him potentially valuable to the rest of the league. Morris is a power rusher that is probably going to hang his hat on being a run-stopper at the next level. But in the right situation, he could be a solid addition to the two-deep depth chart on the defensive line.
