Mason Graham prepares for NFL draft at Michigan football pro day
Wolverines defensive tackle Mason Graham prepares for NFL draft at Michigan football pro day in Ann Arbor, Friday, March 21, 2025.
At this point in 2025 NFL mock draft season, it’s rare to see a notable industry insider’s big board look markedly different than the rest of their contemporaries.
Well, leave it to ESPN’s Peter Schrager to come up with a mock that raised eyebrows, particularly in regards to where he sees Michigan football’s standouts going.
The Wolverines have four players with a potential first-round market. But the first player off the board from Schrager’s projections, based on what he thinks teams will do, is not the top prospect.
Schrager doesn’t have a single Wolverine going in the top nine. And the first Michigan player coming off the board at No. 10 is not the consensus highest graded player in Mason Graham.
Schrager slots tight end Colston Loveland going No. 10 overall to the Indianapolis Colts.
“GM Chris Ballard & Co. get a 6-foot-6 tight end who has many teams enchanted ahead of Round 1,” Schrager wrote. “This pick would be about instant offense for a team that needs it.”
Michigan won’t have to wait long to see its next player come off the board, according to Schrager, who has Graham, a defensive tackle, going No. 13 to the Miami Dolphins.
Graham is considered a top-10 pick by most prognosticators and top five by many who feel the Jacksonville Jaguars could be a good landing spot for him. However, there has been smoke this week about running back Ashton Jeanty going to Jacksonville.
“Graham has been viewed as a likely top-five pick for the past few months, and he could still go there,” he said. “If he falls to No. 13, this is a nice win for Miami, who would be getting a Day 1 culture changer and a can’t-miss prospect.”
Interestingly, Schrager has the player who had somewhat become the consensus fourth-best U-M prospect, Kenneth Grant, being the third chosen. His former Michigan coach, who called him a gift from the football gods in 2022, Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 22 overall.
Many early in the offseason pegged this as a potential Loveland landing spot, but Schrager sees the big fella reuniting with his former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to bolster the Bolts’ run defense.
“Coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz went big-school prospect with their first four picks a year ago and ended up with an outstanding class,” Schrager wrote. “Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter know Grant well from their time at Michigan. They’ll be able to get the best out of the 331-pounder inside.”
The most interesting pick is Will Johnson, previously seen by some as a top-five pick before an injury-riddled junior year. The former five-star recruit and Grosse Pointe South standout falls all the way to No. 28, where the Detroit Lions are lingering.
Schrager sees general manager Brad Holmes going with his oft-used “best player available” strategy and snagging Johnson.
“Johnson’s stock has slipped a bit,” Schrager said. “He had a foot injury last season and was inconsistent for the Wolverines. He also sat out Michigan’s pro day because of a hamstring injury. He’s a top-level talent, though, and he’d be the perfect corner to complement Terrion Arnold.”
If all four former Michigan players were to go in the first round, it would mark a new program record, surpassing the 1995 and 2001 drafts where the Wolverines had three first-rounders apiece.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
