UM gets 14 Combine Invites
The NFL has updated their list of invites to the 2017 Combine and published again. Fourteen UM players are on the list:
Ben Braden (OG)
Jake Butt (TE)
Taco Charlton (DE)
Jehu Chesson (WR)
Jeremy Clark (CB)
Amara Darboh (WR)
Ben Gedeon (LB)
Ryan Glasgow (DT)
Delano Hill (SS)
Jourdan Lewis (CB)
Jabrill Peppers (SS)
De'Veon Smith (RB)
Channing Stribling (CB)
Chris Wormley (DT)
Notable Wolverines who were left off the ivite list include Matt Godin, Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnusen, and Dymonte Thomas.
Schools with the most invites:
| Rank | School | # of Players |
| 1 | Michigan | 14 |
| 2 | Alabama | 10 |
| 3 | LSU | 10 |
| 4 | Clemson | 9 |
| 5 | Miami | 9 |
| 6 | Texas A&M | 9 |
| 7 | Arkansas | 8 |
| 8 | Florida | 8 |
| 9 | Florida St. | 8 |
| 10 | Ohio St. | 8 |
Conferences with the most invites:
| Rank | Conference | # of Players |
| 1 | SEC | 66 |
| 2 | ACC | 60 |
| 3 | Big Ten | 51 |
| 4 | Pac-12 | 46 |
| 5 | Big 12 | 19 |
February 15th, 2017 at 2:00 PM ^
We'll see. Two of the losses (close ones, of course) were to teams with arguably more overall talent (OSU, FSU) or at least not as many weak spots as UM.
Suppose they'd finished 12-1 (not a huge reach) and then gotten hammered by Clemson/Alabama (considering what happened to OSU). Would you feel the same?
Also, stating the obvious, the focus here is on a single class of players. You'd need to look at the other three classes (junior, sophomore, and freshman equivalents), too.
February 15th, 2017 at 2:54 PM ^
I know the losses were close. Just saying 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 years down the road I think we'll look back at the 2016 season as a major missed opportunity. Like in a "how the hell did that team lose 3 games?" kind of way.
February 15th, 2017 at 3:09 PM ^
To be honest, I already look at it that way. I know that the board loves Harbaugh and I do as well. With that said, if you are the highest paid coach in the country, you find ways to win those games like Iowa and OSU.
February 15th, 2017 at 6:03 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 8:22 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 1:49 PM ^
shit happens
February 15th, 2017 at 1:56 PM ^
We somehow lose 3 games by 5 total points.
Luck matters.
February 15th, 2017 at 5:19 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 1:36 PM ^
I can't wait to see how many of these guys get drafted. It'd be an easy sell to recruits to say "Hey look we had the most guys drafted. Jim knows how to get you to the NFL."
February 15th, 2017 at 1:54 PM ^
Actually, that's what I am hoping begins to happen over the next several years, that the outgoing talent is the sell for the incoming talent, as it should be at least in part. If we can keep sending a dozen or more players to the combine each year, that would speak volumes about the ability of the staff to develop talent and that would be huge.
February 15th, 2017 at 2:02 PM ^
NFL teams carry 53 players I believe, so a yearly average of 12 would mean we have 48 future NFL players on the roster. That would be a pretty amazing goal.
If anyone has the data I'd love to see 4 year running totals for each school / conference.
February 15th, 2017 at 2:28 PM ^
It would be very difficult for any college to sustain that level of success over a prolonged period of time. But if any schools were going to come close, it would be Alabama and Ohio State. Checking their data for just the past two years....
Alabama:
- 2017 = 10
- 2016 = 9
Ohio State
- 2017 = 8
- 2016 = 14
So they are close. You have to figure that Michigan won't come close to 14 next year if nothing else just because we have a small senior class and are about to see the transitional period between Hoke and Harbaugh pass through. Optimistically you're looking at Hurst, McCray, Cole, and Isaac. Anyone else would have to come out of no where and/or be an early entry canddidate.
February 15th, 2017 at 1:55 PM ^
man I wish they had beat OSU and gone to the Big Championship game and playoff.
February 15th, 2017 at 1:59 PM ^
- Kalis has been more bad than good for four years and has no positional flexibility. I'm not shocked that he didn't get an invite. He would have had to blow people away at the post-season bowl games to get one.
- Braden getting an invite over Magnuson is interesting. Mags was better this past season, but nothing to write home about. I suspect that Braden interests people because he's played G/T and is a giant human being. Still not sure if any of the three OL actually get drafted though.
- As much as I like Thomas, I'm not shocked he didn't make the cut either. He really only started for one year and didn't do much that jumped off the page to NFL scouts. He's a coverage safety who isn't very big and doesn't have a lot of stats to back him up.
- No one should be surprised that Godin didn't make it. Or Kenny Allen.
With all that being said, remember that Rudock and Wilson weren't on the invite list for 2016 (link) and still made it into the league. Same for Fitz a couple years ago.
Michigan's record for most draft picks in a single year was 10 (a long time ago). They look to shatter that record if even most of these guys get picked.
February 15th, 2017 at 2:36 PM ^
... that is over 1/3 of all the B1G invites going to Michigan. Pretty impressive.
February 16th, 2017 at 9:10 AM ^
... but maybe just a late bloomer.
14/51=.2745
1/3=.3333
14/51 < 1/3
Still really impressive. To express it another way, if each Big Ten program contributed to the pool of 51 combine players equally, they'd have to send 3.64 guys to the combine. We're contributing almost four times that amount.
February 20th, 2017 at 6:08 PM ^
i fat fingered in my head. thinking 14/41 not /51.
And yes, I did actually go to Michigan.
February 15th, 2017 at 4:24 PM ^
So I am disappointed in Thomas not getting a look but not surprised. He didn't have the season I expected. I am really happy to hear about Clark. Inviting a player that is injured and a mid-late round prospect shows the amount interest there is in him around the league. This will mostly be about checking in on the health of his knee and getting his height and length.
I've been told Clark was running in the high 4.4 last summer. That seems almost unreal. Bu breaking a sub 4.6 at his height and weight is all he needs. From what I can tell Harbaugh said Clark had the surgery early October. There is an outside chance Clark could be ready to run for a pro-day in mid March, last year was March 18th. More likely Clark could be ready to run during team workouts in early April.
Hill is a player that should test well. If he comes in at 6'1" and around 215 with a sub 4.5 that will turn heads as a guy that can play SS and nickel.
I'm only surprised by Braden because he didn't make the bowl games for seniors. He body and the face he has played tackle and guard have to be appealing. Any line coach is looking for a guy they can mold. Add to that the idea he might be able to play both guard spots and help out a tackle and you have the perfect late round pick for a team that only plans to keep 7 OL active for a game.
February 15th, 2017 at 5:30 PM ^
but figured this is the most appropraite recent thread to put this.
Reading an Atlanta Falcons blog (b/c I'm a Falcons guy - don't, just don't) post about mock drafts. Premise is that many mocks are showing Atlanta picking a CB in rd 1, which is completely unnecessary. One name floated was:
Gereon Conley from The State of Ohio Tech and Automotive Repair.
Which I love....
http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2017/2/15/14605164/stop-falcons-cornerback…
February 15th, 2017 at 6:47 PM ^
The novelty wore off after ten minutes and then the tedium of farming was upon me...