Here are the results of the 2023 NFL Draft for Michigan:
1st round: Mazi Smith - DT - Dallas Cowboys (#26 overall)
2nd round: Luke Schoonmaker - TE - Dallas Cowboys (#58)
2nd round: D.J. Turner II - CB - Cincinnati Bengals (#60)
3rd round: Jake Moody - K - San Francisco 49ers (#99)
5th round: Mike Morris - DE - Seattle Seahawks (#151)
5th round: Olu Oluwatimi - C - Seattle Seahawks (#154)
6th round: Brad Robbins - P - Cincinnati Bengals (#217)
7th round: Ryan Hayes - OT - Miami Dolphins (#238)
7th round: Ronnie Bell - WR - San Francisco 49ers (#253)
CB Gemon Green was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Giants and TE Joel Honigford was signed by the Arizona Cardinals.
Below are some former Wolverines who were drafted or signed as undrafted free agents:
2nd round: Zach Charbonnet - RB - Seattle Seahawks (#52 overall)
UDFA: Chuck Filiaga - OG - New York Giants
UDFA: Hunter Reynolds - S - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The following player, Eric Gray, was committed to Michigan at one point but signed with Tennessee before transferring to Oklahoma:
5th round: Eric Gray - RB - New York Giants (#172)
Gotta love this for Hunter Reynolds. Walk-on, earns scholarship, transfers for PT, and now gets at least a cup of coffee in the NFL.
ReplyDelete—Joby
Yeah, it's pretty awesome. It also just goes to show how much talent there is at a place like Michigan. Some of the walk-ons and third- and fourth-stringers are talented enough to have a shot to play in the NFL.
DeleteI really like ZC at MICHIGAN but 2d Round behind KWIII seems like a stretch, even for Pete Caroll
ReplyDeleteZC was the best pass protecting RB I’ve ever seen. Better than Tru Wilson, Vincent Smith and De’Veon Smith. IMO, he’ll get some time on the field based on that alone.
Delete—Joby
I agree about the pass protection. And Kenneth Walker III is not a great pass protector. Charbonnet is also a pretty good receiver out of the backfield. I think Charbonnet can be for the Seahawks what De'Veon Smith was for Michigan - a decent all-around player without home run capabilities.
DeleteBut a 2d Rd pick, on a team with far greater needs?
DeleteTeam needs shouldn't be a big factor. Draft the most valuable players you can and sort out the depth chart later. Generally speaking, of course there exceptions (e.g., the Chiefs don't need to draft a QB in round 1), but team needs should be mostly sorted out through free agency and trades.
DeleteRB is a spot where you need two guys. Vast majority of teams are rotating backs and many have some kind of thunder/lightning type arrangement with a receiving threat and between the tackles back. I think you can make a case, particularly if your QB is mediocre and you want to rely on defense and run game, of using some draft equity on a second RB.
The bigger problem is that the position doesn't bring much value. We can look back to the 2018 draft whose players are all hitting free agency now. The top 10 had an all pro RB, an all pro CB, and an all pro QB. But the CB is making about double the RB and the QB is making 4 or 5x the RB. It's not apples to apples because we're not talking about the #5 best player at each position but these are all high end starters (Saquan Barkey, Denzel Ward, Josh Allen) but the valuations of them (per their NFL contracts) are vastly different.
What this means is that if you take a RB in the first couple rounds he pretty much needs to be an all pro to get to a valuation of $10M/year contract. Meanwhile your CB can be a middle of the road starter. Your QB can be a good backup even to match that same value. Similar valuations can be made for an average starting LT, ILB, DE, etc.
The Detroit Lions GM seems to think this mindset is irrelevant. And since Gibbs, Carpenter, and La Porta will likely do very well fitting into key roles on the team, his perspective will almost certainly be vindicated to the eyes of many in the upcoming season. But here's the problem -- the Lions will still be stuck trying to sort out roster upgrades at WR, DE, LT, and DT after the 2023 season and they will have to invest enormous contracts to do it. Far more than they would have had to spend with similar problems at RB, ILB, and TE.
So I agree that ZC is a reach in R2 but I also think he'll be a very productive player for the Seahawks pretty quickly. They hit on other premium positions earlier in the draft and I think really had a strong draft -- especially getting Olu and Morris late!
The Seahawks didn't do as well as the Eagles - who picked up a premium pass receiving talented RB for next to nothing - but they had a nice day.
It seems to me that the best franchises in the league try to draft the best player rather than fill a team need. Filling team needs tends to cause teams to reach at times. (At the very top of the draft, you can sometimes both get the best player available and fill a team need.) Logically, it makes sense to me to plug holes, but good franchises draft good players and then figure it out through trades, free agency, good selections later in the draft, etc.
DeleteI also think the Seahawks strengthened a strength when they drafted Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the 1st round. They didn't really need another standout receiver, considering their roster...but now they have three really good ones. Defenses facing Seattle are going to have to make some tough choices.
Really good result for Michigan program. Should help us in future recruiting or Portal prospects as well HS.
ReplyDelete