Lewan an NFL draft riser of the week
FWIW Taylor Lewan is listed first in the list of NFL draft stock risers of the week on SI, with a projection of him being potentially the first tackle off the board (which in today's NFL I presume means a top 5 pick at worst).
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/tony_pauline/10/14/week-7…
Sad face as I selfishly held out hope he might not be super-hyped so much so that he'd stay another year, but I would never begrudge a first round pick for leaving early. (frankly, I don't begrudge other folks like Shantee Orr or Ernest Shazor either for doing what they felt they needed to do, just disappoint sometimes for what coulda been)
Anyway, stay safe, NFL donkeys. You're on notice.
October 14th, 2012 at 2:23 AM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 2:27 AM ^
He has been here for four years.
October 14th, 2012 at 8:24 AM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 3:03 AM ^
Taylor has given his all and grown tremendously (tm) while at the University. I can't imagine anybody begrudging him an early jump if it looks like he'll be a first rounder, which is looking more and more likely each day. Best of luck to him, I say.
October 14th, 2012 at 3:59 AM ^
He can't go wrong. He will never regret another year playing Michigan football. Either way he will always be Michigan Wolverine.
October 14th, 2012 at 5:50 AM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 6:17 AM ^
I think Michigan should entice him to stay by making #77 a Legends patch for Jake Long.
October 14th, 2012 at 7:44 AM ^
I think Michigan should entice him to stay by making #77 a Legends patch for Taylor Lewan.
October 14th, 2012 at 9:01 AM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 9:16 AM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 1:30 AM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 7:49 AM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 10:21 AM ^
A redshirt sophomore LB is not going to declare for the draft. We will have him for at least one more season.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:03 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 7:58 AM ^
I would like him to stay for my own selfish reasons. But honestly, if I had a son playing at that level that was projecting as a first round draft pick, I would adise him to enter the draft and skip his 5th year of college, whether he has graduated or not. The risk of injury or something else happening to make his stock drop would just not be worth it.
October 14th, 2012 at 8:23 AM ^
While it's not quite here yet, I cannot wait for the day where we are like some of these schools that have elite "depth." That way, when top rounders leave (routinely), we know that another top rounder is about to fill in their shoes.
As for Jake Ryan, I know he's having a great year, but does he have the speed or size to project into a top round LB pick that would have him leave post RS-So year???
October 14th, 2012 at 9:03 AM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 11:32 AM ^
Brian Cushing 6-3 255
Clay Matthews 6-3 255
Lance Briggs 6-1 247
Jake Ryan 6-3 242
Looks like Jake needs 5-15 pounds to have the frame of a NFL LB.
October 14th, 2012 at 8:51 AM ^
Has Pauline watched all the games? A few seemingly qualified observers around here have suggested that Lewan has slipped a bit this year.
Not that "slipping" should ultimately affect his decision overmuch; if he'll likely be a fairly high pick it might still make sense to leave. As others have noted, injury risk needs to be considered.
October 14th, 2012 at 12:12 PM ^
I am no draft expert by any stretch of the imagination, but based on the language in his articles, it appears that Tony Pauline bases his risers and fallers for a particular week on three things: (1) his/industry sources' perception of the draft position of a prospect coming into the season, (2) his impression of how a prospect played during that particular week, and (3) sometimes industry sources' perception of how a prospect has done during the year.
If that is how he is evaluating, it probably is not an accurate gauge of where a player is ultimately drafted, especially after playing a team like Illinois where Lewan was not going up against a surefire NFL player and not taking the longer view (i.e. what did Lewan do against Alabama, ND, etc.). I imagine that in addition to combine/all-star games that Pauline cannot predict, NFL scouts also take a longer view of the season rather than a week-to-week "oh, this player looked good/bad this week" view.
October 14th, 2012 at 8:52 AM ^
Ryan is playing great but I don't see him making the jump to the NFL this year happening. If Lewan leaves this year who will likely take over the LT position next year? One of our redshirt frosh?
October 14th, 2012 at 9:25 AM ^
I'd be surprised if it was anayone but Schofield even if he isn't having a great year. I assume Magnuson or Kalis would play RT.
October 14th, 2012 at 9:25 AM ^
Our whole OL might just be RS FR next year.
October 14th, 2012 at 9:28 AM ^
Hopefully he'll mirror Long's career at Michigan and play out his eligibility. Long would have been a top 5 pick as well his junior year but had some unfinished business on the field. This is probably Lewan's biggest push to coming back.
Also, it seemed early on that he was our most penalized lineman early on this season with holding calls and false starts. Lately you don't notice him as much as far as penalties go which is good.
I agree, no one would blame him for leaving early.
Like Martin and Van Bergen, Lewan would leave a big role in returning Michigan to where they should be and fully completing his college career.
October 14th, 2012 at 12:28 PM ^
starts and maybe unecessary roughness, but I don't think he's had holding calls.
October 14th, 2012 at 10:17 AM ^
I hope this is the start of or re-boot of a legacy of top-tier Lineman coming from Michigan. It helps recruiting, and gives us the type of reputation we are trying to re-establish.
October 14th, 2012 at 10:30 AM ^
I feel the same way. It has been long time (over ten years at this point) since UMich could claim to be an O-line factory. You'd have to go back to the Hutchinson-Backus-Williams-Brandt days.
October 14th, 2012 at 10:31 AM ^
Given all the linemen talent we have recruited that seems lvery possible