Top 5 Michigan stars who can be first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft ft. Will Johnson 

Will Johnson and Colston Loveland are among the top 2025 NFL Draft prospects from Michigan
Will Johnson and Colston Loveland are among the top 2025 NFL Draft prospects from Michigan. USA Today

The Michigan Wolverines are fresh off an unbeaten season and a national title victory in 2023. They lost many of their top players on both sides of the ball from last season to the 2024 NFL Draft. However, there are many returning players to the Wolverines roster in 2024 who will attempt to bring two consecutive titles to Michigan.

As the team prepares for the 2024–25 college football season, here are five stars from Michigan who have the potential to be first-round NFL draft picks in 2025.


Top 5 Michigan stars who can be first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft

#5 Donovan Edwards, RB

Michigan RB #7 Donovan Edwards
Michigan RB #7 Donovan Edwards

With Blake Corum leaving for the 2024 NFL Draft, the Michigan backfield belongs to Donovan Edwards this season. Edwards split carries with Corum last season and ran for 497 yards and five touchdowns while adding 249 yards receiving.

Edwards led the Big Ten with 7.1 rushing yards per attempt in 2022 and finished the season with 991 yards and seven touchdowns. He has early-round NFL draft potential but will need to show an improvement in his vision and balance this season to be a first-round consideration.


#4 Kenneth Grant, DT

DT #78 Kenneth Grant
DT #78 Kenneth Grant

Michigan DT Kenneth Grant returns for his third season with the Wolverines in 2024. He enters the season as the sixth-ranked interior defensive lineman in college football by Pro Football Focus after recording 29 total tackles and 3.5 sacks last season.

Grant earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last season and will pair with Mason Graham to create one of the most dominant tackle combinations in the country. He is currently projected as a late first-round or second-round draft pick with the upside of being an early starter in the NFL.


#3 Colston Loveland, TE

TE #18 Colston Loveland
TE #18 Colston Loveland

Wolverines TE Colston Loveland returns for his junior year in 2024 after earning first-team All-Big Ten honors last season. Loveland finished Michigan's title run last season with 45 receptions for 649 yards and four touchdowns. He also ranked seventh in the Big Ten with 14.4 yards per reception.

Loveland is the highest-ranked tight end in college football ahead of the 2024 season by Pro Football Focus and projects as a mid-first-round 2025 NFL Draft pick. His ability to catch and block has drawn comparisons to Pittsburgh Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth.


#2 Mason Graham, DT

DT #55 Mason Graham
DT #55 Mason Graham

Mason Graham was a second-team All-American and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last season and is the top-ranked interior defensive lineman ahead of his junior season by Pro Football Focus. Graham was the Rose Bowl defensive MVP last season in Michigan's 27-20 victory over Alabama.

Graham is projected as an early first-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the most unblockable defensive linemen in college football. At 6 feet, 3 inches, and 318 pounds, Graham is quick and versatile for his size and can constantly keep opposing quarterbacks under pressure all game long.


#1 Will Johnson, CB

NCAA Football: Fiesta Bowl-Texas Christian
NCAA Football: Fiesta Bowl-Texas Christian

Will Johnson is the top-ranked CB in college football, according to Pro Football Focus, ahead of his junior season. Johnson has outstanding size and length and can hit his top speed in a flash. He is an intelligent player who knows how to be in the right place at the right time while in coverage.

Johnson finished last season with 27 total tackles, four pass breakups and returned one of his four interceptions for a touchdown. He has top-five overall consideration for the 2025 NFL Draft and draws comparisons to Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II.


Which Wolverines star will be first off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft? Let us know your predictions in the comments.

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Edited by Nicolaas Ackermann
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