The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/774666
FEBRUARY 2017 THE WOLVERINE 31 "But Michigan will be a very young team next year. The 2018 draft might not be a huge draft for Michigan, but moving on past that, to 2019 and the foreseeable future, as long as Har- baugh is there, Michigan is definitely going to be a factor in the NFL Draft." Here's a player-by-player break- down on Michigan's outlook for the seniors in the 2017 NFL Draft — day one consists of the first round April 27, followed by days two (rounds two and three) and three (rounds four through seven) in Philadelphia: KENNY ALLEN Position: Kicker/punter Key Factor: Workouts Projected Day Taken: Third/free agent Brugler 's Assessment: "Special teamers are always tough. It comes down to the workouts, really. If you can impress a team in a workout as a punter or kicker, you've got a good shot." BEN BRADEN Position: Offensive line Key Factor: NFL build Projected Day Taken: Third Brugler's Assessment: "I thought he played better than in his junior season. Just the raw measurables — 6-5, 320 pounds — he's built for the NFL game. There are times you see his power and see him move some people. There are other times he allows rushers to get underneath him — either gain lever- age or attack the gap. "That's more of a technique issue with Braden. His hands tend to wan- der a little bit. He can get a little more disciplined with his feet. Teams will believe, 'Once we get him in our facil- ity, we'll get a little more out of him.'" JAKE BUTT Position: Tight end Key Factor: Knee injury to ACL Projected Day Taken: Second Brugler's Assessment: "It's anyone's guess at this point. It's still early. The injury [suffered in the Orange Bowl] is still fresh. How his rehab progresses will give us a better idea. At the NFL Combine, teams will have a chance to look at that knee, see what's going on with the rehab, the recovery and proj- ect out when he'll be ready. "As long as Jake Butt is on track to be near 100 percent healthy by some point early next season — which by all accounts is the case — he's still pro- jected somewhere on day two. Before the injury, he was looked at as a solid second-rounder. Now there's a chance he falls to the third round. "He's a guy who came back for his senior year and has played a lot of football. He's not the most dynamic receiver, but he's a very fluid route runner. He makes adjustments on the ball, has reliable hands. "As a blocker, he's not overwhelm- ing, but he routinely does what he's ex- pected to do, and he does just enough. He's a well-rounded player. He might not make a Pro Bowl in his career, but he's a guy that could be a quality starter for a long time." TACO CHARLTON Position: Defensive end Key Factor: Pass-rushing ability Projected Day Taken: First Brugler's Assessment: "Coming into the year, talking to scouts, they were very excited about where Taco could be at the end of the year. His development throughout his senior season has put him right on track to be a top-20 pick in this draft. "He reminds me a lot of what Justin Tuck was coming out of Notre Dame 10 years or so ago. He has that mold- able body type, with the length, the movement skills, the power potential, to really be an impact guy off the edge. "What he did this year as a senior — in really his first true season as a full- time starter — was impressive. What he did against Ohio State, beating up that right tackle, and what he did dur- ing the season, showing different pass rush moves, using his lower body agil- ity to sidestep blocks, using his upper body, his length and his strength po- tential to move blockers, get them on skates … "There are still plenty of areas he can improve, especially in the run game. He tends to play too high at times, lets his pad level rise. He needs to better protect his body. But from the stand- point of where he can be a year from now, or two or three years down the road, that's why Charlton is looked at as a probably first-round pick in this draft." JEHU CHESSON Position: Wide receiver Key Factor: Workouts Projected Day Taken: Third Brugler's Assessment: "He really struggled to show much this year. He had a few more body catches than you want to see. The lack of play strength would show at times. He showed aver- age ball skills and needs to improve his route running. "He's a player who is draftable, but I don't think he's as good of a player as most scouts thought coming into the year." AMARA DARBOH Position: Wide receiver Key Factor: Focus Projected Day Taken: Second Brugler 's Assessment: "He can make the acrobatic catch, the one- handed catch. You just throw it in his area, and he's going to come down with the ball. "He shows a veteran savvy in his routes and can drive a defender off his path. He's comfortable with defenders on his hip and can make the contested catch with defenders all over him. "He doesn't allow much to affect his focus as a pass catcher. Those kinds of possession guys, who also have ath- leticism to be a deep threat as well, are valuable. Darboh is going to be taken somewhere in the second or third round; a guy who will be in the Senior Bowl and can help himself even more." BEN GEDEON Position: Linebacker Key Factor: Aggressiveness Projected Day Taken: Third Brugler's Assessment: "When you look at linebacker, there are certain visuals you look for, from a size and speed perspective. He doesn't neces- sarily check all of those marks, but he's very physical and very aggressive. "The guy runs through a wall for you. At times, he was one of the emo- tional leaders of that defense. He never turns it off. That also leads to nega- tive plays, whether he's overrunning angles or being too aggressive. "He doesn't have the elite speed you want at that position, to play both sidelines. He's a guy who is probably going to have to make a living on spe- cial teams, if he wants to make a final roster." RYAN GLASGOW Position: Defensive tackle Key Factor: Quickness off the snap Projected Day Taken: Second/third Brugler's Assessment: "He fires