Michigan Wolverines players going into the 2025 NFL Draft

Michigan football is generating a lot of hype in the lead-up to the 2025 NFL Draft. Based on their program’s history, they have tended to put one player on the draft ranks on day one, but this year’s class will be much different, with as many as four Wolverines slated to be picked in the first round on night one on Thursday.

As the draft boards and mock drafts reach their final stages, a lot of them project a quartet of Wolverines, mostly on the defense, getting their names called this Thursday night. Let’s take a look at the players from the University of Michigan heading into the NFL Draft.

Michigan Wolverines players in the 2025 NFL Draft

Mason Graham, DT

Mason Graham was a four-star prospect coming out of California. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound defensive tackle emerged as one of the best defensive linemen in the Wolverines’ history. He finished his three-year stint in Michigan with 107 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and nine sacks in 27 starts while anchoring the defense that won the 2024 national championship.

In his senior year, he would log 45 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He was named a unanimous All-American, which was the first for a defensive tackle since Mark Messner in 1988. All mock drafts and draft boards have him as the top defensive tackle in a draft stacked with defensive linemen projected to go in the first round.

With a lot of teams at the top of the draft looking to improve their defense, expect Graham to be drafted in the Top 10 as he can anchor a defense with his ability to generate an effective pass rush and also stop the run.

Will Johnson, CB

A five-star recruit from Detroit, Michigan, hometown kid Will Johnson has shown to be a great shutdown corner during his time in Ann Arbor, finishing his three-year career with 68 tackles, four tackles for loss, 19 pass deflections, and nine interceptions.

According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson only allowed two touchdowns under coverage in his entire Michigan career, both coming during his freshman season. He was also a key player in the Wolverines' 2024 title run and two Big Ten title runs.

Johnson heads into the draft with some question marks, though. His lack of participation in both the NFL Combine and Michigan’s Pro Day means he doesn’t have times to compare to other prospects or current NFL starters. Injuries have also marred his last two seasons, as he has missed 10 games in that span with various injuries.

Draft boards have him as a top-three cornerback, with CBS listing him as the top corner on their board. He is widely believed to be drafted in the top 20, with fringe playoff teams like San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta, and Cincinnati all looking to shore up their depth in that position.

Colston Loveland, TE

The 6-foot-6 Loveland is an Idaho native known for his excellent ball skills and mobility for a tight end. In his three years with the Wolverines, he has put up 1,466 yards on 126 receptions, including 11 touchdowns. He was the lone bright spot in last year’s Michigan offense, being their best receiver on a team that’s rebuilding.

Mock drafts have him as either the top or second tight end alongside Penn State’s Tyler Warren. Indianapolis seems to be the most obvious destination for him with the team desperate for a tight end, but there are also rumblings of teams trading up ahead of the Colts to snag him off the board first.

Kenneth Grant, DT

Kenneth Grant was only a three-star recruit coming out of Indiana, but what he couldn’t prove in high school, he made up for in college. Described by former coach Jim Harbaugh as a “gift from the football gods,” he showed off his athleticism and size in his sophomore year at Michigan.

In 41 games for the Wolverines, Grant started in 17 of them, putting up 69 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 11 pass breakups and was effective at stopping the run alongside fellow defensive lineman Mason Graham. He was twice named second-team All-Big Ten and was a key part of Michigan’s two Big Ten titles and their national title in 2024.

Draft boards have Grant ranked as the third or fourth defensive tackle, which could possibly be a mid-to-late first-round selection. He can certainly help a defense right away and it doesn’t hurt that he could come in and contribute to a possible contender right away.

Josaiah Stewart, DE

Josaiah Stewart spent his first two seasons with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, putting up solid numbers of 79 total tackles plus 25 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. Transferred to Michigan ahead of his junior season, he largely maintained his production even with the step up in competition level and playing behind a lead edge rusher in Jaylen Harrell.

Draft boards have Stewart ranked in the teens among defensive ends, with Pro Football Focus having him the highest at 14th. At just 6’1” 248 pounds, he is undersized for his position, but his strong pass-rushing stats will make him a good pick on the outer edges of the top 100, which will take him either at the edge of the third or at the top of the fourth round.

Kalel Mullings, RB

Played mostly on defense and special teams for most of his college career, Kalel Mullings switched to running back full-time in 2023. He waited for a year behind Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, but when he took over as the lead back, he literally and figuratively took the ball and ran with it.

In his fifth-year senior season, he put up 948 yards on 79 yards per game to go along with 12 touchdowns. The highlights were his four 100+ yard games and a pair of 92-yard games, with his most impressive being a 116-yard, one-touchdown game against the eventual champions, Ohio State. His breakout season was good enough for him to be named third-team All-Big Ten.

Draft boards have him at the edge or just outside the top 20 among running backs. He is projected to be a last-day pick and could possibly be at best among the special teams to begin the 2025 season.

Myles Hinton, OT

Myles Hinton made most of his starts with Stanford before transferring to Michigan to be with his brother, Christopher, who played defensive tackle. Hinton was lost in a deep offensive line rotation during their championship run, but was able to step up and showed what he could do last fall, starting all 10 games where he played.

He was able to log 572 snaps at left tackle and showed off his skills, not allowing a pressure against talented defenses like Ohio State and Oregon, along with other powerhouses like USC and bitter rivals Michigan State.

Most draft boards have him outside the top 20 among offensive tackles, but The Athletic has him ranked as the 14th offensive tackle on the board, which could mean he will be at best a fifth to seventh round selection.

Donovan Edwards, RB

Donovan Edwards was a near five-star recruit coming out of high school and showed off a good ability to be a pass-catching running back, which was becoming more of a trend in the NFL. While he totaled 2,254 rushing yards to go along with 19 touchdowns, 797 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns while only getting just six fumbles, he mostly got them earlier in his Michigan career.

His senior year was pedestrian, only rushing for 589 yards on 4.7 yards per carry and scoring just four touchdowns. He never had a 100-yard game or a multiple-touchdown game all season, and that may prove to be costly to his draft prospects.

In spite of that, some draft boards still have him ranked as a possible last-day pick, with CBS ranking him as the 24th running back on the board. Edwards will probably be on a practice squad this season, but we can’t rule out the fact that he could take advantage of an opportunity given to him by a team that could use his dual-threat offensive skills.

Makari Paige, S

A four-year contributor for the Wolverines, Makari Paige anchored the secondary during their championship runs. He ended his collegiate career having played 48 games, with 27 of them as a starter. He put up 133 total tackles, three interceptions and multiple pass breakups across four seasons and earned multiple All-Big Ten honorable mention honors in both 2022 and 2023.

Paige’s strengths lie in his ability to read pass catchers on their routes, with excellent route recognition from depth, particularly against intermediate crossing patterns, and he has also shown that he can match up with tight ends well with his large wingspan. He also has good tackling skills, which can be beneficial in keeping offenses behind the sticks.

His weakness lies in his speed, and he has the tendency to be burned by shifty receivers, especially those coming from the slot. He can also get caught flat-footed on double moves when he is in man coverage.

Some draft boards have him as a late-round selection to end the draft, while some have him going undrafted. He was also solid in the special teams unit back in Michigan, being the gunner on punt and kickoff units, which can only help his case to land a roster spot in the fall.