A look into the Michigan Wolverines who were selected in 2024 NFL Draft
(CBS DETROIT) - The undefeated Michigan Wolverines saw several of its players get selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Thirteen players were drafted over the three-day event, starting with quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Here's a list of the Wolverines who have been drafted:
J.J. McCarthy
As the 10th overall pick, J.J. McCarthy was selected by the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday.
Minnesota selected the 21-year-old after a trade between the Vikings and the New York Jets pushed the team from the No. 11 overall spot to No. 10.
"His ball placement and timing need to improve to help mitigate an average operation time due to a windup release," according to McCarthy's NFL Draft profile. "McCarthy doesn't seek to play out of structure but is fairly consistent at making positive plays when it happens and ramps up his focus late in games and on third downs. He is confident and seems to have the ability to take slights and digest it as competitive fuel."
Kris Jenkins
Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins was selected 49th overall in the second round of the draft.
"Jenkins has a smaller frame for his position, but he plays with good strength in one-on-one power swaps. He can neutralize single blocks but has trouble fighting back to muddy his gap against double-teams," read his draft profile. "His motor stays engaged. He's frequently running down ball-carriers and chasing quarterbacks by the end of the play."
Jenkins' father, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, was selected in the second round of the 2001 draft by the Carolina Panthers.
Mike Sainristil
In a back-to-back selection, Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil was selected by the Washington Commanders in the second round as the 50th overall pick.
Sainristil, who played five seasons with Michigan, won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week in November 2023, starting all 15 games in the season and contributing to the special teams.
He led with 44 tackles and set a single-season record in 2023 with 232 interception return yards.
Junior Colson
Michigan Linebacker Junior Colson will join Jim Harbaugh after being selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the third round (69th overall pick.
He won the Lott IMPACT (Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, Tenacity) Award in 2023 and was named to the second-team All-Big Ten Conference. He started all 15 games and led Michigan with 95 tackles.
"Colson's upper-body strength and body control stand out when battling blocks or finishing tackles. He has adequate sideline-to-sideline range but needs to play with faster recognition to keep from getting trapped by climbing blocks," read his draft profile. "He doesn't play with a trigger-happy, downhill mindset, so he misses out on playmaking opportunities. Colson is a tough guy with good stopping power and can handle himself in coverage."
Blake Corum
Michigan running back will be heading to Los Angeles to play for the Rams after being selected in the third round of the NFL Draft.
Corum, who was selected 83rd overall, dominated in his last season with the Wolverines, starting in all 15 games and leading the team with 258 rushes for 1,245 yards and 27 touchdowns.
"Compact runner with average size, outstanding contact balance and a rare talent for finding and fitting into small crevices for short-yardage conversions and touchdowns," according to his NFL Draft profile. "Corum is a bit of a one-speed runner lacking sizzle and wiggle but gets it downhill with timing and finishes runs with good forward lean. He has the hard-hat mentality to handle heavy workloads and can exploit defenses that fatigue or miss their run fits."
Roman Wilson
Wide receiver Roman Wilson was picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 84th overall pick in the third round.
The sixth Wolverine selected, Wilson led Michigan with 48 catches in the 2023 season, 789 yards and 12 touchdowns. He set a career-high with nine catches and 143 yards in the Nov. 4, 2023, game against Purdue.
Zak Zinter
Michigan guard Zak Zinter was the last Wolverine on Friday to be selected in the NFL Draft.
The Cleveland Browns selected Zinter as the 85th overall pick.
Standing at 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 309 pounds, Zinter was a three-time All-Big Ten selection at Michigan and a two-time CSC Academic All-American.
"Zinter enters the league with NFL size, toughness and technique. He is an average athlete in short spaces but is very capable of climbing to the second level with good angles and making hits on short pulls. He can be stood up and neutralized by two-gapping pluggers but is rarely beaten soundly," according to his draft profile.
AJ Barner
Michigan senior tight end AJ Barner was the first Wolverine selected during the draft's third and final day on Saturday.
Barner was selected 121st overall and with the 21st pick in the fourth round by the Seattle Seahawks.
The 6-foot-6, 251-pounder from Avon, Ohio, played in all 15 games and started in eight games for the Wolverines during the 2023 season. He earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Conference honors last fall.
"In-line tight end who continues improving as a run blocker but is unlikely to offer much as a pass catcher. He was a captain at Indiana before transferring to Michigan, and scouts say he attacks practices and weight training with a single-minded obsession to get better and compete. He's technically sound in the early stages of the run block but needs to improve with his positioning to create better lanes for the runner. He can handle some pass protection but needs to keep improving. Barner's role might be a little limited as a blocking Y tight end with below-average pass-catching traits, but he should earn playing time in the future," according to his draft profile.
Trevor Keegan
Michigan senior guard Trevor Keegan was selected 172nd overall and with the 37th pick in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 6-foot-5, 310-pound guard was a second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection in 2023 and started all 15 games as a team captain.
"Three-year starting guard with good size, great makeup and robust experience in big games. Keegan is part of a Michigan brotherhood up front that won back-to-back Joe Moore Awards (best college football offensive line unit) and made it to the College Football Playoff in three straight seasons. He plays with average hand placement but above-average strain and is extremely consistent in the duo blocking scheme Michigan features so frequently. He's always hunting extra work and is made for the physicality of the league but could struggle against the length and athleticism he will see in front of him on passing downs. Keegan has Day 3 draft value but might be able to rise from backup status to eventual starter for a run-heavy team," according to his draft profile.
Michael Barrett
Michigan senior linebacker Michael Barrett was selected 240th overall and with the 20th pick in the seventh round by the Carolina Panthers.
The 5-foot-11, 233-pounder is from Valdosta, Georgia.
"Six-year Wolverine who has shown steady improvement over the last two or three years. Barrett lacks ideal size to take on big blockers and doesn't play proactively enough to stay ahead of blockers. His lateral burst to pursue bounce-wide runs is just average, but when he lines up his target, he can be a ferocious striker and wrap-up tackler. Barrett's anticipation and instincts leave too much to be desired, but he might have enough cover talent and special teams ability to fight for a roster spot as a nickel/dime linebacker," according to his draft profile.
LaDarius Henderson
Michigan senior guard LaDarius Henderson was selected 249th overall and with the 29th pick in the seventh round by the Houston Texans.
The 6-foot-4, 309-pounder earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors in 2023, appearing in 14 games and starting 10.
"Offensive tackle with decent athletic traits and above-average physical traits, but his game tape simply doesn't show enough consistency. Henderson's size and length will check boxes, but his play against the likes of Iowa, Alabama and opponents at the Senior Bowl left a lot to be desired. He needs to improve his anchor strength in protection, but he appears to have enough lower-body drive to generate some movement in the run game. Ultimately, an inordinate amount of mental mistakes and a lack of instincts will be hard for offensive line coaches to overlook," according to his draft profile.
Jaylen Harrell
Michigan senior defensive end Jaylen Harrell was taken 252nd overall and with the 32nd pick in the seventh round by the Tennessee Titans.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder earned honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference honors in 2023 and led the Wolverines with 6.5 sacks and tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with nine.
"Good athlete but lacking size, play strength and aggression to thrive as an edge defender on the next level. Harrell fails to strike and take command of blocks early on and can be widened out by stronger run-blocking tight ends. He's fairly talented at ungluing from blocks and darting laterally to get in on tackles. His pass rush will need to become his bread and butter if he is to make an NFL squad. He has a legitimate spin counter but will need to prove he can win around the corner with quickness and hand work. Harrell could be a Day 3 selection, and teams might eventually give him a shot as an off-ball linebacker," according to his draft profile.
Cornelius Johnson
Michigan senior wide receiver Cornelius Johnson was taken 253rd overall and with the 33rd pick in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Chargers and his former coach Jim Harbaugh.
Johnson stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 212 pounds. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference honors and made 14 starts in 2023.
"Johnson was a three-year starter, with all three seasons including action in the College Football Playoff. He's a big, tough target who displayed improvement making the difficult catch in 2023. He has decent speed but is encumbered by ragged route running that fails to hit the mark with footwork or timing. Johnson's play strength and competitiveness can become a problem for smaller cornerbacks when the action heads down the field. He's a chippy run blocker with the potential to become a weapon as a perimeter blocker. Johnson's size and traits will be lauded, but he might need a simpler route tree to be at his best as a pro backup," according to his draft profile.