Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines fall shy of historic record in 2024 NFL Draft
The Michigan Wolverines joined a historic group in the 2023-24 college football season when they won 15 games. They're also the final team to win the four-team College Football Playoff. Jim Harbaugh's swan song in Ann Arbor made him a legend. The new Los Angeles Chargers head coach almost set history again during the 2024 […]
The Michigan Wolverines joined a historic group in the 2023-24 college football season when they won 15 games. They're also the final team to win the four-team College Football Playoff. Jim Harbaugh's swan song in Ann Arbor made him a legend.
The new Los Angeles Chargers head coach almost set history again during the 2024 NFL Draft. The Wolverines had a whopping 13 players selected amongst the 257 total picks. The 2022 Georgia Bulldogs kept their record of 15 by the time the final pick was made.
Wolverines Selected in 2024 NFL Draft
The Wolverines walked out of Round 1 with only QB J.J. McCarthy (Vikings) hearing his name called, but Day 2 was more favorable for the national champions. Defensive stalwarts Kris Jenkins (Bengals), Mike Sainristil (Commanders), and Junior Colson (Chargers) were gone quickly.
Then, Blake Corum (Rams), Roman Wilson (Steelers), and Zak Zinter (Browns) closed out Day 2. AJ Barner (Panthers), Trevor Keegan (Eagles), Michael Barrett (Panthers), LaDarius Henderson (Texans), Jaylen Harrell (Titans), and Cornelius Johnson (Chargers) went on Day 3.
Colson was the first of two Wolverines Harbaugh took, as receiver Cornelius Johnson was his final selection in the seventh round. His decision to add the 6'3" playmaker inched the Wolverines close to the record, but the rest of the league didn't push them over the top.
Considering Michigan's 2023 roster had the oldest collective age in college football history, it's not shocking the league didn't make it an all-time class. 13 players is still impressive, but guys like Trente Jones, Braiden McGregor, and Drake Nugent were likely hurt by their age. The NFL prefers young bucks.
This group should have a lot of success, though. It's impressive that so many of the league's sharpest front offices wanted Wolverines. We should see McCarthy, Jenkins, Sainristil, Colson, Corum, Wilson, and Zinter slide into big roles by the end of 2025, if not sooner. The Wolverines' recruiting efforts will benefit from this.
