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The 2025 NFL draft didn't have the same amount of anticipation for Michigan football fans as did the 2024 iteration, even though there was more top-round talent this year.
The Wolverines put three players into the first round and five into the top three rounds, with the former aspect tying a school record. But as far as overall numbers, there were seven Michigan football players selected in 2025 compared to 13 in 2024, so the fireworks weren't quite as consistent as they were a year ago. Also, there's a big difference coming off a 15-0 championship season compared to an 8-5 campaign (that did still feature wins over Ohio State and Alabama).
Now that the 2025 NFL draft is in the books, here are our five takeaways.
We understand that the NFL flagged a knee injury which dropped Johnson between 20-40 spots, from a potential top 10 selection to No. 47 overall. But as Johnson contended, the knee injury was from two years ago, so what we saw in his sophomore season was more applicable to his talent level compared to when he was dealing with turf toe this past year.
Still, the Arizona Cardinals got something of a steal -- more so than the Browns getting Shadeur Sanders on day three. Though many draftniks had Sanders as a top 10 pick, in our opinion, he was overvalued. This was a weak quarterback class compared to last year. Meanwhile, we would still look at Johnson as a first-round talent and as the top pure cornerback available. As a tall, rangy, fast ball-hawk, Johnson is poised to be a multi-year starter for Arizona, so long as he can remain healthy.
He's called 'Big Game Don' for a reason, and though he lacked overall consistency (which is likely why the NFL didn't draft him), he's a threat any time he has the ball in his hands. We've seen that in the 2022 Ohio State game and the 2023 national championship game, as well as pretty much every time he played Penn State.
His testing perhaps wasn't quite as eye-popping as we anticipated, but it was still very good. And, if an NFL team was smart, it would recognize his utility as a pass-catcher (something Michigan learned early on and then seemed to forget after Week 2 of his sophomore year, when he injured his hand). There were mitigating circumstances, such as blocking issues when Edwards was often the ballcarrier (even in 2023), which we believe played a role in his inconsistency. Sure, he didn't create where Kalel Mullings did this past year, but the resume speaks for itself.
At least he has his opportunity with the Jets as an undrafted free agent.
Mason Graham garnered all of the headlines as the starring defensive tackle, but Kenneth Grant wasn't too far behind him. Many mock drafts coming out of the season didn't have Grant going in the first round but most had him falling into the late first. Even the final mocks had Grant going as late as No. 30 overall, just barely sneaking into the first round.
It may have surprised the draftniks that he ended up going to the Miami Dolphins at No. 13 overall, but not us. He showcased his talent on a weekly basis, his ability to shed blockers, run down tailbacks in the backfield or the open field, and has a size advantage on every offensive lineman. The Dolphins should be very happy with their selection.
While the edge rusher production has gone down in terms of draft acumen over the past few years, if you're a Michigan football edge rusher, chances are you're being selected within the first three rounds. But it used to be the first round.
2023 featured Mike Morris going in the fifth round and Jaylen Harrell went in the seventh in 2024. But otherwise, recent first-rounders include Aidan Hutchinson (2022), Kwity Paye (2021), Rashan Gary (2019), and Taco Charlton (2017). Frank Clark, Chase Winovich, Chris Wormley, Josh Uche, and David Ojabo were second and third-round picks.
It's been a very impressive decade, but even more impressive when you recognize that the Wolverines wasn't sending edges to the draft like that every year. Only a handful -- LaMarr Woodley and Brandon Graham-types -- found themselves selected, but it wasn't an every-year sort of thing.
Spartans and Buckeyes want to claim that Michigan's run of success from 2021-23 was due to Connor Stalions and the signs (which we've debunked thoroughly), but the biggest proof were those who the NFL selected. While Ohio State had 14 players selected from this year's team, Michigan had 13 a year ago. The Wolverines had seven this year, which made the number of players drafted from the 2023 championship team 20 -- and all seven players picked this year were key to last year's team (there were no new transfers drafted). While two key players from the 2024 team went undrafted (Donovan Edwards and Makari Paige), as did some from the championship team (Braiden McGregor and Josh Wallace, both of whom are on NFL rosters), the Wolverines team in 2023 was as talented as any other title-winning squad. That five players on an 8-5 team this year went in the first three rounds (three in the first round) shows how important those players were as sophomores (or as a junior, in Josaiah Stewart's case). You could make the case that the four selected in the first two rounds would have gone similarly high coming out of 2023.
Rivals will never give credence to Michigan's championship, which is more of a state of rivalries than anything nowadays. But to deny the amount of sheer talent on that team is -- to put it lightly -- insane.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Takeaways from the Michigan Wolverines in the 2025 NFL draft
Continue reading...
The Wolverines put three players into the first round and five into the top three rounds, with the former aspect tying a school record. But as far as overall numbers, there were seven Michigan football players selected in 2025 compared to 13 in 2024, so the fireworks weren't quite as consistent as they were a year ago. Also, there's a big difference coming off a 15-0 championship season compared to an 8-5 campaign (that did still feature wins over Ohio State and Alabama).
Now that the 2025 NFL draft is in the books, here are our five takeaways.
Will Johnson was the ultimate value pick
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We understand that the NFL flagged a knee injury which dropped Johnson between 20-40 spots, from a potential top 10 selection to No. 47 overall. But as Johnson contended, the knee injury was from two years ago, so what we saw in his sophomore season was more applicable to his talent level compared to when he was dealing with turf toe this past year.
Still, the Arizona Cardinals got something of a steal -- more so than the Browns getting Shadeur Sanders on day three. Though many draftniks had Sanders as a top 10 pick, in our opinion, he was overvalued. This was a weak quarterback class compared to last year. Meanwhile, we would still look at Johnson as a first-round talent and as the top pure cornerback available. As a tall, rangy, fast ball-hawk, Johnson is poised to be a multi-year starter for Arizona, so long as he can remain healthy.
Donovan Edwards should have been drafted
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He's called 'Big Game Don' for a reason, and though he lacked overall consistency (which is likely why the NFL didn't draft him), he's a threat any time he has the ball in his hands. We've seen that in the 2022 Ohio State game and the 2023 national championship game, as well as pretty much every time he played Penn State.
His testing perhaps wasn't quite as eye-popping as we anticipated, but it was still very good. And, if an NFL team was smart, it would recognize his utility as a pass-catcher (something Michigan learned early on and then seemed to forget after Week 2 of his sophomore year, when he injured his hand). There were mitigating circumstances, such as blocking issues when Edwards was often the ballcarrier (even in 2023), which we believe played a role in his inconsistency. Sure, he didn't create where Kalel Mullings did this past year, but the resume speaks for itself.
At least he has his opportunity with the Jets as an undrafted free agent.
Kenneth Grant's talent was aptly recognized
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Mason Graham garnered all of the headlines as the starring defensive tackle, but Kenneth Grant wasn't too far behind him. Many mock drafts coming out of the season didn't have Grant going in the first round but most had him falling into the late first. Even the final mocks had Grant going as late as No. 30 overall, just barely sneaking into the first round.
It may have surprised the draftniks that he ended up going to the Miami Dolphins at No. 13 overall, but not us. He showcased his talent on a weekly basis, his ability to shed blockers, run down tailbacks in the backfield or the open field, and has a size advantage on every offensive lineman. The Dolphins should be very happy with their selection.
Edge rusher U is still alive...
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While the edge rusher production has gone down in terms of draft acumen over the past few years, if you're a Michigan football edge rusher, chances are you're being selected within the first three rounds. But it used to be the first round.
2023 featured Mike Morris going in the fifth round and Jaylen Harrell went in the seventh in 2024. But otherwise, recent first-rounders include Aidan Hutchinson (2022), Kwity Paye (2021), Rashan Gary (2019), and Taco Charlton (2017). Frank Clark, Chase Winovich, Chris Wormley, Josh Uche, and David Ojabo were second and third-round picks.
It's been a very impressive decade, but even more impressive when you recognize that the Wolverines wasn't sending edges to the draft like that every year. Only a handful -- LaMarr Woodley and Brandon Graham-types -- found themselves selected, but it wasn't an every-year sort of thing.
More proof of 2023 championship acumen
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Spartans and Buckeyes want to claim that Michigan's run of success from 2021-23 was due to Connor Stalions and the signs (which we've debunked thoroughly), but the biggest proof were those who the NFL selected. While Ohio State had 14 players selected from this year's team, Michigan had 13 a year ago. The Wolverines had seven this year, which made the number of players drafted from the 2023 championship team 20 -- and all seven players picked this year were key to last year's team (there were no new transfers drafted). While two key players from the 2024 team went undrafted (Donovan Edwards and Makari Paige), as did some from the championship team (Braiden McGregor and Josh Wallace, both of whom are on NFL rosters), the Wolverines team in 2023 was as talented as any other title-winning squad. That five players on an 8-5 team this year went in the first three rounds (three in the first round) shows how important those players were as sophomores (or as a junior, in Josaiah Stewart's case). You could make the case that the four selected in the first two rounds would have gone similarly high coming out of 2023.
Rivals will never give credence to Michigan's championship, which is more of a state of rivalries than anything nowadays. But to deny the amount of sheer talent on that team is -- to put it lightly -- insane.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Takeaways from the Michigan Wolverines in the 2025 NFL draft
Continue reading...
