Draft Shows it's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine

© Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK

Day two of the 2024 NFL draft could not have started any better for the Michigan Wolverines as the NFL honored their 2023 National Championship to kick off the second round. The Victors Valiant was Playing and the National Champion Wolverines marched up to the stage trophy in hand for all the football world to see. Michigan whose recruiting has been off to a slow start could use a bump in advertising for the program and Day 2 of the Draft gave that just that. 

What looked to be a good night for Michigan became a great night after setting a program record with seven players being selected in the first 100 picks. This Michigan class has been plagued with controversy and proved everyone wrong, that it was NFL talent that won them a National Championship. Not the other nonsense that their rivals want to keep pointing out. Michigan's biggest rival at this point has had only two players selected compared to the seven by the Wolverines but still want to argue they only lost because of the alleged sign stealing. 

JJ McCarthy was the only player selected in round one from Michigan, he went 10th overall to the Minnesota Vikings and became the highest QB drafted from the University of Michigan. JJ who coach Jim Harbaugh has called the best QB to ever play at Michigan came into the draft projected everywhere from 2 - 12 and watched 4 QBs go before hearing his name called at 10.

Day 2 Kris Jenkins would kick off the draft for the Wolverines being the first one taking in the second round going 49th overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Very next pick saw another Wolverine taken in DB Mike Sainristil going 50th to the Washington Commanders. Sainristil who only played on the defensive side of the ball for two years might have the highest ceiling heading into the NFL of any of the Wolverines not named JJ MaCarthy.

The third round would see four Wolverines names being called, the first was Junior Colson who went 69 to the LA Chargers where he joined his former head coach. After the pick, a video circulated of the Chargers head coach signing the Michigan fight song and looking happy to be able to grab one of his former players. 

Picks 83,84, and 85 had 3 straight Wolverines coming off the board matching their 3 straight Big 10 championships. Blake Corum who holds the record for TDs in a single season 27 would go to the LA Rams. Roman Wilson who led the Wolverines in receptions and receiving TDs would go to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Zak Zinter who started all 12 regular season games but missed the Big 10 Championship and College Football Playoff after a season-ending injury during the OSU game. Zinter started in 42 of the 45 games he played in during his time in Ann Arbor.

Day two of the draft show cast the Michigan Football program's ability to get players to the next level. Michigan fans are now left to hope the success of the first two days of the draft will translate into commitments for new head coach Sherrone Moore.