The NFL Draft Scouting Combine began on Monday and more and more NFL Draft experts are starting to release updated mock drafts and prospect rankings.
On Monday, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah released his NFL Draft prospect rankings 2.0. While the Michigan Wolverines had 18 prospects earn an invite to Indianapolis for the combine, Jeremiah had only three Wolverines in his top 50. But one Michigan player made a huge jump in the draft expert’s rankings.
The first Wolverine was none other than quarterback J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy slots in at No. 27 overall on Jeremiah’s big board. McCarthy is projected as a top-15 pick in the draft, but Jeremiah doesn’t see him that high as an overall prospect.
McCarthy is a lean, athletic quarterback with a live/loose arm. He is very consistent because of his ability to always throw from a firm base, with his feet and eyes connected. He is selectively aggressive as a passer. He has the combination of velocity and accuracy to fit balls into tight windows, but he is also very comfortable taking checkdowns and piling up completions. He is very efficient. He shows the touch to take speed off the ball underneath and provide optimal run-after-catch ball location. The only throws that gave him some trouble were over-the-top outside shots, as he let too many of those leak and end up out of bounds. He is a very explosive straight-line runner. Overall, other quarterbacks in this class have more volume in the passing game, but it’s hard to argue with McCarthy’s results. I see some similarities to Alex Smith coming out of college.
You’ve got to do some scrolling before finding the next Michigan player. At No. 43 overall Jeremiah has linebacker Junior Colson. Linebackers in the NFL don’t get drafted as high as they once did, but Colson has a legit case at being the top-ranked inside linebacker off the board.
Colson is a big, physical linebacker with excellent instincts. Against the pass, he has a knack for diagnosing routes and positioning himself properly. He has enough speed/agility to mirror tight ends underneath and down the seam. He closes to the flat in a hurry and takes excellent angles. He also shows timing and a burst as a blitzer. All that said, he is at his best against the run. He is quick to key and fill. He attacks lead blockers, thuds off and makes tackles. He is a very physical, chest-up tackler. He would’ve posted more impressive numbers this past season if Michigan had played in more close games. (The Wolverines rolled through a lot of players on that side of the ball, especially early in their national championship campaign.) Overall, Colson’s speed-physicality combination will fit any defense.
After having an exceptional Reeses Senior Bowl practice week, WR Roman Wilson has officially debuted in Jeremiah’s top 50. After being unranked in version 1.0, Jeremiah has Wilson ranked at No. 50 in version 2.0.
Wilson is a compact, muscled-up wideout with elite burst and explosiveness. He didn’t see as many targets as others in this draft class because of Michigan’s dominant rushing attack. He is at his best when he’s on the move, especially on deep-over routes. He attacks the leverage of the cornerback before exploding across the field and running away from his opponent. He gets matched up with safeties at times and that leads to enormous separation and explosive plays. He showed more versatility as a route runner at the Senior Bowl. He can drop his weight at the top of routes and work back downhill. He has strong, reliable hands. After the catch, he relies on his speed to generate chunk plays. Overall, Wilson lacks ideal size, but he has rare speed and quickness. He reminds me of Packers WR Jayden Reed and I expect Wilson to make a similar impact at the next level.
Players like Mike Sainristil, Kris Jenkins, Zak Zinter, and Blake Corum could all make arguments to be in the top 50.
