Michigan Combine participation and Draft position since 1999

Marquise Walker

With the NFL Combine behind us and the Draft not too far away, now seems like a good time to take a look at the recent history of Wolverines in the NFL. Here's a list of players who have participated in the combine since 1999, with draft position included in parentheses. It's worth remembering that the vast majority of players who are invited to the Combine end up with NFL teams, even if they are not selected in the Draft.

2012 (3): DT Mike Martin (TBD), WR Junior Hemingway (TBD), David Molk (TBD)

2011 (2): LB Jonas Mouton (2nd), Stephen Schilling (6th)

2010 (5): OLB Brandon Graham (1st), P Zoltan Mesko (5th), S Stevie Brown (7th)*, CB Donovan Warren (undrafted), RB Brandon Minor (undrafted)

2009 (4): DT Terrance Taylor (4th), CB Morgan Trent (6th), LS Sean Griffin (undrafted), DE Tim Jamison (undrafted)

2008 (7): OT Jake Long (1st), QB Chad Henne (2nd), LB Shawn Crable (3rd), WR Mario Manningham (3rd), RB Mike Hart (6th), WR Adrian Arrington (7th), SS Jamar Adams (undrafted)

2007 (6): CB Leon Hall (1st), DT Alan Branch (2nd), LB LaMarr Woodley (2nd), LB David Harris (2nd ), WR Steve Breaston (5th), LB Prescott Burgess (6th)

2006 (5): DT Gabe Watson (4th), WR Jason Avant (4th), TE Tim Massaquai (7th), OL Adam Stenavich (undrafted), LB Pierre Woods (undrafted)

2005 (7): WR Braylon Edwards (1st), CB Marlin Jackson (1st), OG David Bass (2nd), CB Markus Curry (undrafted), FB Kevin Dudley (undrafted), P Adam Finley (undrafted), S Earnest Shazor (undrafted)

2004 (5): RB Chris Perry (1st), CB Jeremy LeSueur (3rd), QB John Navarre (7th), OT Tony Pape (7th), OL David Pearson (undrafted)

2003 (7): LB Victor Hobson (2nd), TE Bennie Joppru (2nd), FB B.J. Askew (3rd), QB Drew Henson (6th), SS Cato June (6th), FS Charles Drake (7th), WR Ronald Bellamy (undrafted)

2002 (4): WR Marquise Walker (3rd), LB Larry Foote (4th), OG Jonathan Goodwin (5th), K Hayden Epstein (7th)

2001 (6): OT Jeff Backus (1st), OL Steve Hutchinson (1st), WR David Terrell (1st), RB Anthony Thomas (2nd), OT Maurice Williams (2nd), CB James Whitley (undrafted)

2000 (7): LB Ian Gold (2nd), FB Aaron Shea (4th), DT Josh Williams (4th), LB Dhani Jones (6th), QB Tom Brady (6th), DE James Hall (undrafted), WR Marcus Knight (undrafted)

1999 (8): OT Jon Jansen (2nd), TE Jerame Tuman (5th), WR Tai Streets (6th), CB Andre Weathers (7th), RB Clarence Williams (undrafted), QB Scott Dreisbach (undrafted), SS Marcus Ray (undrafted), LB Sam Sword (undrafted)

*Not invited to the Combine

Average number of Michigan players participating in the Combine: 5.4

Average number of Michigan players selected in the Draft: 4.1

Average Draft position: 3.8th round

Review of 2006 Recruiting: The Offensive Linemen

Trent Williams was the #4 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft

THE RECRUITS
Justin Boren
High school: North High School in Pickerington, OH
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #1 OC; Scout 5-star, #7 OL
Other notable offers: Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma
College: Michigan Ohio State
Scoop: Boren committed to Michigan and was just the fourth true freshman offensive lineman to start a game for Michigan in the modern era.  He started 1 game in 2006 and played in 4 others at offensive guard.  He replaced center Mark Bihl in 2007 and started all 13 games, 8 at center and another 5 at offensive guard.  After Rich Rodriguez was hired in December 2007, Boren and his family (which includes a father who played football at Michigan and a mother who ran track at Michigan) disliked the new regime and Justin transferred to hated Ohio State.  He sat out the 2008 season and redshirted.  Boren started 24 games at Ohio State at offensive guard from 2009-2010 and was named First Team All-Big Ten both seasons.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft and is currently fighting for a spot on the Baltimore Ravens roster.

Perry Dorrestein
High school: Central High School in Plainfield, IL
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #43 OT; Scout 3-star, #81 OL
Other notable offers: Illinois, Nebraska, Northwestern
College: Michigan
Scoop: Dorrestein had some middling offers coming out of high school, but chose the highest profile school on the list.  He redshirted as a freshman in 2006 and played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 2007.  He started 4 games in 2008, 8 games in 2009, and 10 games in 2010.  He was a serviceable spot starter, but lacked the athleticism and strength to be a high performer.  Dorrestein went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Stephen Schilling
High school: Bellevue High School in Bellevue, WA
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #2 OT; Scout 5-star, #3 OL
Other notable offers: California, UCLA, USC, Washington
College: Michigan
Scoop: Schilling was an all-everything high schooler who took some time to adjust in college.  He redshirted as a freshman in 2006, a year in which he suffered not only a shoulder injury but also a bout of mononucleosis.  But by the beginning of 2007, he was on his way to becoming a four-year starter.  He was overmatched at right tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2007 and had a mediocre season under Rich Rodriguez in 2008.  For the 2009 campaign, Schilling moved to left guard and remained there through 2010.  Overall, he started 49 games in his career, missing only the 2008 Ohio State game due to injury.  He was named Michigan's top offensive lineman from 2008 through 2010 and earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in both 2009 and 2010.  He was drafted in the 6th round (#201 overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Justin Anderson
High school: Irwin County High School in Ocilla, GA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #7 OG, and #100 overall; Scout 4-star, #21 OG
Other notable offers: Georgia Tech, Nebraska
College: Georgia
Scoop: Anderson failed to qualify in 2006 and didn't attend Georgia until January 2007.  He redshirted as a freshman but rebounded by starting 7 games at offensive tackle and getting some freshman awards as a redshirt freshman in 2008.  Anderson started only 5 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2009 and then switched to defensive line prior to the 2010 season.  He had 1 tackle from his DT position in 2010 before undergoing season-ending surgery for turfo toe.  For 2011 he's listed at #1 on the depth chart to start at right offensive tackle.

Jim Barrie
High school: Berkeley Prep High School in Tampa, FL
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #15 OT; Scout 3-star, #58 OL
Other notable offers: Florida State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee
College: Florida
Scoop: Barrie redshirted as a freshman in 2006.  He played in 1 game as a redshirt freshman in 2007, but suffered a knee injury in August 2008 that essentially ended his playing career.  He dressed out for a couple games at the end of the 2008 season, but received a medical scholarship after the year was over.

Marcus Gilbert
High school: St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #13 OT; Scout 4-star, #32 OL
Other notable offers: Auburn, Florida State, Miami
College: Florida
Scoop: Gilbert played sparingly in 2006 and thus received a redshirt.  He was a frequently used backup as a redshirt freshman in 2007, seeing action in 13 games and starting 1 game.  He was once again a backup in 2008, playing in 13/14 games.  Gilbert started the final 27 games of his career at Florida in 2009 and 2010 and he was a 2nd round pick (#63 overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2011 NFL Draft. 

Daron Rose
High school: Jefferson High School in Tampa, FL
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #2 OT; Scout 4-star, #32 OL
Other notable offers: Florida, Notre Dame, South Carolina
College: Florida State
Scoop: Rose began his college career at Florida State, where he played in two games as a freshman before receiving a redshirt.  As a redshirt freshman in 2008, he started 11 of 13 games at offensive tackle but did not play particularly well.  Due to undisclosed reasons, he did not return to FSU for the 2009 season and announced a transfer to South Florida.  However, he never joined USF's program and instead attended North Alabama.  He started 6 games for North Alabama in 2010 and remains on their roster for the 2011 season.  He's projected as the starter at right offensive tackle.

Conner Smith
High school: Colerain High School in Cincinnati, OH
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #4 OG; Scout 5-star, #4 OL
Other notable offer: Oklahoma
College: Ohio State
Scoop: Smith redshirted in 2006 and remained a permanent backup throughout his career.  Prior to his redshirt senior season in 2010, Smith changed positions from offensive guard to defensive tackle.  However, he failed to accrue any statistics and went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Alex Stadler
High school: Liberty High School in Bealeton, VA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #12 OT; Scout 4-star, #33 OL
Other notable offers: Boston College, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech
College: Alabama
Scoop: Stadler redshirted in 2006 and transferred to Liberty University prior to the 2007 season.  He started 16 games total in 2008 and 2009, earning Second Team All-Big South honors for his play in 2009.  Stadler was slated to be the starting left guard in 2010, but it's unclear whether he played out his eligibility or not.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Joe Thomas
High school: St. Edward's School in Lakewood, OH
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #43 OG; Scout 4-star, #12 OL
Other notable offers: Michigan State, Ohio State, West Virginia, Wisconsin
College: Pittsburgh
Scoop: Thomas played as a true freshman in 2006, starting 7 games at offensive guard for injured starter John Simonitis.  Thomas started 7 games once again in 2007 before suffering his own injury.  As a junior in 2008, he started all 13 games.  It's unclear whether he played out his eligibility in 2009, but he went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Bartley Webb
High school: Springdale High School in Springdale, AR
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #29 OT; Scout 4-star, #52 OL
Other notable offers: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas
College: Notre Dame
Scoop: Webb redshirted in 2006 and then played 1 game as a redshirt freshman in 2007.  He then suffered a career-ending shoulder injury and acted as a student coach until he graduated.  Most recently he was a video assistant at Middle Tennessee State University.

Sam Young
High school: St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #1 OT; Scout 5-star, #2 OL
Other notable offers: Florida, Miami, Penn State, Stanford, USC
College: Notre Dame
Scoop: Young was one of the best linemen in the country coming out of high school, and his college career started off with an immediate starting gig as a freshman, when he earned Freshman All-America honors.  He started all 50 games of his college career.  After his senior season, he was a 6th round pick (#179 overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2010 NFL Draft and played in 2 games as a rookie.

CONCLUSIONS
It was not a stellar year for Michigan's talent identification in 2006.  At a school that has regularly produced NFL linemen for decades, most of these guys went kaput quickly or are in the process of ending mediocre careers.  And obviously Justin Boren turned out to be more trouble than he was worth, even though he ended up having a decent career in Columbus.

Biggest miss: Marcus Gilbert.  He was the highest draft pick of the bunch, going in round #2.  Gilbert was probably going to be a backup LT for the Steelers, but he recently injured his left knee and it's unclear how much time he will miss.  The Wolverines could have used some good offensive linemen on a team that started journeyman-type starters such as Mark Ortmann, Perry Dorrestein, and Mark Huyge in recent years.

Biggest bust: Conner Smith.  As much as I would like to say Boren was the biggest bust, Smith was a consensus, elite blue chipper who saw the field only rarely in college.

Best in class: Trent Williams.  It's tough to pick this category for linemen, because stats are scarce and it takes a long time for even the good ones to develop.  Just going by draft status, though, the former Oklahoma Sooner was the highest NFL draft pick from the 2006 lineman class, having been picked #4 overall by the Washington Redskins in 2010.  Other notable players from the 2006 class are Oklahoma State's Russell Okung (#6 to the Seahawks in 2010) and Wisconsin's Gabe Carimi (#29 to the Bears in 2011).

2006 Offer Board

QUARTERBACK (9)
David Cone - Statesboro, GA (Michigan)
Mitch Mustain - Sprindale, AR (Arkansas)
Neil Caudle - Hoover, AL (Auburn)
Tim Tebow - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (Florida)
Matthew Stafford - Dallas, TX (Georgia)
Pat Devlin - Exton, PA (Penn State)
Dexter Davidson - Coconut Creek, FL (Pittsburgh)
Nick Stephens - Flower Mound, TX (Tennessee)
Taylor Potts - Abilene, TX (Texas Tech)

RUNNING BACK (6)
Carlos Brown - Franklin, GA (Michigan)
Brandon Minor - Richmond, VA (Michigan)
Cameron Smith - Snellville, GA
Knowshon Moreno - Middletown, NJ (Georgia)
Aaron Gant - Orchard Lake, MI (Ohio State)
Chris Wells - Akron, OH (Ohio State)

WIDE RECEIVER (9)
Greg Mathews - Orlando, FL (Michigan)
Damian Williams - Springdale, AR (Arkansas)
Chris Slaughter - Fort Valley, GA (Auburn)
Percy Harvin - Virginia Beach, VA (Florida)
Tony Wilson - Daytona Beach, FL (Georgia)
Derrell Johnson - Youngstown, OH (Iowa)
Robby Parris - Cleveland, OH (Notre Dame)
Chris Bell - Norfolk, VA (Penn State)
David Ausberry - Lemoore, CA (USC)

TIGHT END (6)
Dedrick Epps - Richmond, VA (Miami)
Will Yeatman - San Diego, CA (Notre Dame)
Jake Ballard - Springboro, OH (Ohio State)
Andrew Quarless - Uniondale, NY (Penn State)
Nate Byham - Polk, PA (Pittsburgh)
Dorin Dickerson - Imperial, PA (Pittsburgh)

OFFENSIVE TACKLE (9)
Perry Dorrestein - Plainfield, IL (Michigan)
Stephen Schilling - Bellevue, WA (Michigan)
Alex Stadler - Bealeton, VA (Alabama)
Jim Barrie - Tampa, FL (Florida)
Marcus Gilbert - Fort Lauderdale, FL (Florida)
Daron Rose - Tampa, FL (Florida State)
Bartley Webb - Springdale, AR (Notre Dame)
Connor Smith - Cincinnati, OH (Ohio State)
Sam Young - Fort Lauderdale, FL (USC)

OFFENSIVE GUARD (3)
Justin Boren - Pickerington, OH (Michigan)
Justin Anderson - Ocilla, GA (Georgia)
Joe Thomas - Parma, OH (Pittsburgh)

CENTER (0)

DEFENSIVE END (8)
Greg Banks - Denver, CO (Michigan)
Brandon Graham - Detroit, MI (Michigan)
Adam Patterson - Columbia, SC (Michigan)
Quintin Woods - Flint, MI (Michigan)
John Paul - Immokalee, FL
Micah Johnson - Fort Campbell, KY (Kentucky)
McKenzie Matthews - Syracuse, NY (Pittsburgh)
Jason Adjepong - Carteret, NJ (Virginia Tech)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (8)
John Ferrara - Staten Island, NY (Michigan)
Jason Kates - Harrisburg, PA (Michigan)
Marques Slocum - New Berlin, NY (Michigan)
Corey Peters - Louisville, KY (Kentucky)
Dexter Larimore - Merrillville, IN (Ohio State)
Jason Pinkston - Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh)
Butch Lewis - Aurora, CO (USC)
Neil A'asa - Big Rapids, MI (Utah)

LINEBACKER (9)
Obi Ezeh - Grand Rapids, MI (Michigan)
Cobrani Mixon - Cincinnati, OH (Michigan)
Jonas Mouton - Venice, CA (Michigan)
Quintin Patilla - Flint, MI (Michigan)
Akeem Hebron - Gaithersburg, MD (Georgia)
Toryan Smith - Rome, GA (Notre Dame)
Thaddeus Gibson - Euclid, OH (Ohio State)
Michael Morgan - Dallas, TX (USC)
Joshua Tatum - Oakland, CA (USC)

CORNERBACK (3)
Jai Eugene - Destrehan, LA (LSU)
Ken Tinney - New Berlin, NY (Michigan State)
Darrin Walls - Pittsburgh, PA (Notre Dame)

SAFETY (8)
Steve Brown - Columbus, IN (Michigan)
Jamar Hornsby - Jacksonville, FL (Florida)
Myron Rolle - Princeton, NJ (Florida State)
Asher Allen - Tucker, GA (Georgia)
Reshad Jones - Atlanta, GA (Georgia)
Taylor Mays - Seattle, WA (USC)
Antwine Perez - Camden, NJ (USC)
Franchot Allen - New Berlin, NY (West Virginia)

KICKER (1)
Bryan Wright - Salem, OH (Michigan)

NFL Draft Review: Michigan-style

Why do I have a picture of Joe Cocozzo?

2ND ROUND
#61.  Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton was drafted by the San Diego Chargers.  Mouton was the first Michigan player chosen by the Chargers since offensive guard Joe Cocozzo in 1993, who was selected in the third round (#63 overall).

3RD ROUND
#74.  Arkansas quarterback (and former Wolverine) Ryan Mallett was drafted by the New England Patriots.  He has first round talent but an undrafted free agent level of maturity, so he probably couldn't have asked for a better situation.  Sure, I bet he would have loved first round money, but now he gets to sit behind and learn from Tom Brady for a few years.  If he learns well, he could become a franchise quarterback when Brady moves on or retires.

6TH ROUND
#201.  Michigan offensive lineman Steve Schilling was drafted by the San Diego Chargers.  This is the first time multiple Michigan players have been chosen by one team since . . . 2008, when the Miami Dolphins picked offensive tackle Jake Long in the first round and quarterback Chad Henne in the second.

UNDRAFTED
DT Greg Banks, OG Justin Boren (Ohio State), OT Perry Dorrestein, LB Obi Ezeh, OG John Ferrara, DE Eugene Germany (Central Washington), LB Kevin Leach, LB Cobrani Mixon (Kent State), FB/LB Mark Moundros, DE Adam Patterson, CB James Rogers, DT Renaldo Sagesse, TE Martell Webb

NFL Draft Preview: Michigan-style

Jonas Mouton (#8) should be one of just two Michigan players drafted this weekend

The NFL Draft has always been a fun time for me, because I would always sit around and wait for the next Michigan player's name to get called.  Between watching for a Michigan player to get drafted and waiting for the Lions to pick, one Saturday in April was perhaps the most exciting day of the football off-season.  But Michigan's production of NFL players has waned in recent years.

Ever since six players were taken in the 2008 draft - four in the first three rounds - the Wolverines have only been able to muster five total draft picks in 2009 (4th round: Terrance Taylor; 6th: Morgan Trent) and 2010 (1st: Brandon Graham; 5th: Zoltan Mesko; 7th: Steve Brown).  That's an average draft position of the 4.6th round.

By contrast, 60 players were taken from 1995-2007, an average of 4.62 per year.  On average, those players were drafted in the 3.68th round.  Not only has the number of Michigan draftees been lower in the past couple seasons, but they're getting picked lower, too.

That average draft position might rise slightly this year, but there will probably only be two Wolverines chosen this coming weekend:


Jonas Mouton - Linebacker
Mouton measured in at the NFL Combine at 6'1" and 239 lbs.  I think he could play a couple positions, either as a weak inside linebacker in a 3-4 or as a weakside outside linebacker in a 4-3.  He's pretty solid in coverage and changes direction well (video here, senior profile here).
Projection: 5th round to the Patriots


Steve Schilling - Offensive guard
Schilling measured in at the NFL Combine at 6'5", 304 lbs.  He had a pretty good Combine performance, but nothing stellar.  He played a lot of offensive tackle at Michigan, but I think he's strictly a guard at the next level.  Four years of starting experience should help him (senior profile here).
Projection: 4th round to the Browns


Undrafted: DT Greg Banks, OT Perry Dorrestein, LB Obi Ezeh, OG John Ferrara, LB Kevin Leach, FB/LB Mark Moundros, DE/DT Adam Patterson, CB James Rogers, DT Renaldo Sagesse, TE Martell Webb


I do think there is a remote chance that two other players get drafted late - Obi Ezeh and Martell Webb.  Ezeh was, for all intents and purposes, a four-year starter at middle linebacker.  That might be worth something to a team late in the draft.  And Webb turned into a very good blocker.  If a team is looking for a cheap blocking tight end in the 7th round, they could do worse than picking a 6'4", 268-pounder with decent athleticism.

Steve Schilling, #52

2010 Countdown: #12 Steve Schilling

HIGH SCHOOL
Schilling was a 5-star recruit to both Rivals and Scout and the equivalent of a 4-star player (the #106 overall player) to ESPN.  He played offensive tackle in a Wing-T offense at Bellevue High School in the state of Washington, but Rivals ranked him as the #2 offensive guard in the country.  I had just started paying attention to recruiting in the summer of 2006 (which was a few months after National Signing Day), but looking back at his high school film, it seems obvious that Schilling should have been headed for the guard position.

COLLEGE
Schilling had illness (mononucleosis) and injury (shoulder) problems in 2006 and did not play as a freshman.  Most freshman linemen redshirt - although classmate Justin Boren played a little bit - but Schilling missed a lot of time that he could have spent conditioning and lifting.  He was essentially a true freshman in 2007, but started most of the season at right tackle, anyway.  It was a bit of a revolving door on the right side of the line that season, when five players made starts at right guard and two made starts at right tackle.  Schilling himself moved inside to right guard when projected starter Alex Mitchell was injured and/or disappeared.  (It's rumored that Mitchell actually quit the team, but was talked into rejoining the squad to bolster the offensive line later in the season.)  Schilling was overpowered repeatedly, especially against Ohio State.  He remained at right tackle through the abysmal 2008 season when the entire offensive line struggled to adjust to Rich Rodriguez's new blocking schemes.  By the time Schilling became a redshirt junior in 2009, the coaching staff had moved him to left guard, where he started all twelve games.  He looked much more comfortable inside and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention.  That led into a 2010 in which a Schilling-led offensive line paved the way for 3,101 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns.  Michigan's quarterbacks were sacked only 11 times on the year.  Schilling started all 13 games and grew into a very good zone-blocking offensive guard by the end of his career.

STATS
49 career starts (25 at left guard, 22 at right tackle, 2 at right guard)

AWARDS
Team captain in 2010 . . . Three-time Hugh R. Rader, Jr. Award winner (2008, 2009, 2010), which is given to team's best offensive lineman . . . All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2009 and 2010 . . . Freshman All-America in 2007

SUMMARY
I feel a little bit sorry for Schilling, although I probably shouldn't feel too sorry for a four-year starter at Michigan who will at least get a shot at an NFL career.  He was pressed into action way too early - at a position that didn't maximize his talents - and I think his development was stunted because of that.  The kid spent three years (well, more like two) playing tackle because it fit the team's needs, and that's admirable.  But it was pretty clear early in his career that he had a better future at guard.  He didn't have the foot speed and balance to play tackle, and his burly body screams "offensive guard."  I'm not sure that there was necessarily a better option, because other potential tackles were Mark Ortmann, Perry Dorrestein, and Mark Huyge, all of whom were also quite young in 2007 and 2008.  Coaches Lloyd Carr and Rich Rodriguez were probably doing the best they could with the talent available, but it's a bit of an indictment of Carr's recruiting that so few options were available.  Anyway, Schilling moved inside as a redshirt junior, and things improved significantly afterward.  He wasn't a bone-crushing mauler, but I saw successful runs behind the left guard and, as a senior, I saw Schilling latching onto inside linebackers more frequently.  While not a superstar, Schilling is an overall success story for Lloyd Carr, Rich Rodriguez, and Rodriguez's offensive line coach Greg Frey.

PROJECTION
Schilling has been projected in various spots for the NFL Draft coming up in late April.  He's generally considered to be one of the top ten offensive guards for the 2011 draft class.  Despite playing tackle for a few years, he doesn't seem to have much position flexibility.  At 6'4 1/8", his arm length is only a reported 32.75", which is two to four inches shorter than most tackles in the draft.  He will probably need to add some weight to his 308 lb. frame unless he ends up with a zone blocking squad.  But overall, Schilling could have a solid future as an NFL offensive lineman.  He should be drafted in the middle rounds (3rd to 5th), and I could see him having a decade-long career as a solid backup or nondescript starter.

The All-Rodriguez Team: Offense

Denard Robinson makes fatties look fat.

In case you can't tell, I like to make lists.  And depth charts.  And lineups.  This has nothing to do with football.  But when I was about thirteen years old, I laid down in my living room with a piece of paper and a pen.  I wrote down a batting order for my favorite team, the Detroit Tigers.  And the Atlanta Braves.  And the Chicago Cubs.  And, what the hell, the rest of Major League Baseball, too.

From memory.  If you wanted to know the emergency catcher for the Montreal Expos, I was your man (er, well, boy).

So here's another list.  I've often thought about the best players to come through Michigan during the years of my fanaticism, and this one is narrowed down to the Rodriguez years.  Which players in the past few years turned out the best seasons for what amounted to be Michigan's worst three consecutive years in program history?  Despite the 15-22 record over Rodriguez's tenure, we had some pretty good individual players.  But as you might expect, the majority of them (nine out of eleven) were on the 2010 squad that had a winning record and played in a bowl game.

QB: Denard Robinson (2010)
182-for-291 passing, 2570 yards, 18 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
256 carries, 1799 yards, 14 touchdowns
This is a no-brainer.  For half the season, he was on pace to win the Heisman.

RB: Brandon Minor (2008)
103 carries, 563 yards, 5.2 yards per carry, 9 touchdowns
Minor made an entire season out of one career.  He had 331 carries for 1,658 yards and 20 touchdowns over his four years.  Unfortunately, he couldn't stay healthy for any length of time, and 2008 was his best season, despite only starting four games that year.

WR: Junior Hemingway (2010)
32 catches, 593 yards, 4 touchdowns
Hemingway made some spectacular plays in 2010, catching some deep balls, running after the catch, and channeling Houdini on a 45-yard catch and run against Illinois.  He didn't put up spectacular overall numbers, but averaging 18.5 yards per reception is pretty nice.

WR: Darryl Stonum (2010)
49 catches, 633 yards, 4 touchdowns
Stonum became somewhat dependable as a junior in 2010, finishing second on the team with 49 receptions.  He only averaged 12.9 yards per catch, but that was largely a function of the routes he was asked to run and - I'll say it - some inaccuracy on Denard Robinson's part.  His numbers could have been better, but there were several occasions where Stonum had to contort his body or dive for a ball thrown by Robinson.  His 66-yard catch and run on a slip screen against UMass was a thing of beauty, though.

SR: Roy Roundtree (2010)
72 catches, 935 yards, 7 touchdowns
I feel bad that I couldn't include Martavious Odoms on this squad, but Roundtree's numbers are unimpeachable.  Sure, they could have been better (he suffered from the dropsies late in the year), but Roundtree turned in the single best receiving performance of the Rodriguez era this past season.  He made some clutch receptions and showed some nifty running ability with two 74+ yard receptions on the year.

TE: Kevin Koger (2010)
14 catches, 199 yards, 2 touchdowns
Koger put up better numbers in 2009 than 2010, but I thought he improved overall as a player from his sophomore to his junior year.  Koger had some maddening drops in 2009, which fell off somewhat in the next year.  I also think Koger's blocking improved, which led him to be used as a sort of H-back to lead the way for Denard Robinson and the running backs.

LT: Mark Ortmann (2009)
This won't be the popular pick because everyone loves Taylor Lewan.  And I love Taylor Lewan, too.  The problem was that he had too many drive-killing penalties (false starts, personal fouls, etc.).  Lewan certainly has more talent, but Ortmann was a solid player who didn't make the same kinds of mental mistakes.

LG: Steve Schilling (2010)
Schilling spent his first couple seasons playing right tackle, which was a bad fit.  He moved to guard in 2009 and then, in my opinion, improved significantly from his junior year to his senior year.  His understanding of the guard position improved, and his work with the strength and conditioning program seemed to bolster his athleticism as time went on.

C: David Molk (2010)
I almost picked the 2008 version of Molk, simply because he was such a revelation for Michigan football fans that season.  His ability to reach block defensive tackles gave us an idea of what the offensive line would look like in the years to come.  But Molk was even better in 2010, paving the way for Denard Robinson's 1,700 rushing yards.  The best thing about Molk, though?  Unlike the other centers who filled in when Molk was injured in 2009, his snaps were quick, accurate, and dependable.

RG: Patrick Omameh (2010)
Omameh still has room to improve.  He's a little bit of an odd fit at guard, standing 6'5" and only weighing about 300 lbs.  He has the body of a tackle, but fit well at guard for Rodriguez.  He still got overpowered at times, but his athleticism was key in getting to the second level.  Witness Denard's 87-yard run against Notre Dame, on which Omameh latched onto linebacker Manti Te'o four yards downfield, drove him another six, and then pancaked him into the ground.

RT: Perry Dorrestein (2010)
Right tackle was the weakest offensive line position over the three years, going from Steve Schilling in 2008 to Dorrestein and Mark Huyge in 2009 and 2010.  While not a star, Dorrestein was the best of the three.  He didn't make a lot of outstanding plays, but linemen are a little like officials - if you don't notice them, they're probably doing an okay job.

2010 Countdown: #12 Stephen Schilling

Name: Stephen Schilling
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 308 lbs.
High school: Bellevue High School in Bellevue, WA
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #52
Last year: I ranked Schilling #6. He started all 12 games at left guard, making All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and sharing the team's offensive lineman of the year award with Mark Ortmann.

Schilling was a very highly touted recruit from the Pacific Northwest in 2006. Early in his career, he had issues with mononucleosis and a shoulder injury that prevented him from working out for much of his first year in college. Regardless, he became a starter at right tackle in 2007. Suspect in pass protection, Schilling played a bit at right guard in 2008 and moved inside full-time in 2009, starting every game at left guard. He has started every game over the past three seasons except for the 2008 contest against Ohio State, and begins 2010 with 36 career starts.

The Wolverines will be counting on Schilling's leadership and run blocking in 2010. With a solid season, Schilling could squeeze into the middle rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has good size and he's a solid 308 lbs. He lacks the lateral quickness and balance to play tackle in the NFL, but he could project at guard for an NFL team. With his experience and talent, Schilling could be ranked higher. However, the depth on Michigan's offensive line diminishes his importance somewhat. There are capable backups on the team in the form of Elliott Mealer, Ricky Barnum, and John Ferrara. Hopefully, though, Schilling is making his 49th career start sometime around New Year's Day 2011.

Prediction for 2010: Starting left guard; All-Big Ten second team

Apparently, the populace thinks I'm underrating Schilling here. He was tied for the sixth-leading vote-getter, behind Cameron Gordon (28%), Ryan Van Bergen (21%), Jonas Mouton (19%), J.T. Floyd (12%), and Troy Woolfolk (5%). Remember that I finished this list prior to Woolfolk's injury and will not be recalibrating his placement on the list, so take that into consideration before you vote.

2010 Countdown: #61 Quinton Washington

Name: Quinton Washington
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 307 lbs.
High school: Timberland High School in St. Stephen, SC
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #76
Last year: I ranked him #80 and said he'd redshirt. He redshirted.

Washington is a mammoth offensive guard, weighing more than all but two of his teammates - nose tackle Will Campbell (324 lbs.) and fellow guard Elliott Mealer (310). As evidence that Rich Rodriguez is embracing larger offensive linemen, there are now five 300-pounders; there were only two in 2009. With several guards ahead of him on the depth chart last season, Washington's services weren't needed . . .

. . . and they probably won't be needed again this year. David Moosman was the only guard to graduate in 2009. Steve Schilling returns at left guard, and last year's part-time starters at right guard (Patrick Omameh and Mark Huyge) also return. Mealer, Ricky Barnum, and part-time 2008 starter John Ferrara also return. There have also been reports from practice that Washington has been developing slowly. That's not a concern at this point, considering that he's only one year removed from high school. But Michigan fans shouldn't be expecting to see Washington on the field much this season. Perhaps he can push for the guard position that Schilling will be vacating after this season.