As has become a yearly tradition, the Michigan Wolverines sent a handful of new players to the pro ranks in the NFL Draft. This year, seven Wolverines were selected over the course of the three-day event.
While they’ve all accomplished something great by making it to the next level, the work is only just beginning for them. Each player’s talent has been on display the last few years in college, but only a few are given the best chance to maximize their potential thanks to a combination of opportunity and play style.
With the dust settled, we’ll sort through the newly-selected Michigan players to determine which three found the best landing spots and are set up for success.
TE Colston Loveland – Chicago Bears
For much of the pre-draft process, Penn State’s Tyler Warren had been projected to be the first tight end of the board, but the Chicago Bears opted to go against the experts and give that honor to Colston Loveland.
Chicago should have a much-improved offense in 2025 with Ben Johnson, who has ascended to being one of the best offensive minds in the sport the last three seasons. Johnson’s offense in Detroit heavily utilized tight end Sam LaPorta and the passing game in the middle of the field, which is where Loveland dominates.
Running alongside receivers D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, Loveland should be set up to put up LaPorta-like numbers as soon as his rookie year, as he’s unlikely to be the center of attention for opposing defenses. If you’re a Bears fan, you should be excited about this pick.
CB Will Johnson – Arizona Cardinals
Will Johnson found himself in an uncomfortable category this draft cycle as an ultra-talented player that slid down the draft. This happens to a few players every year, but in Johnson’s case, it seemed to be the result of a knee injury that concerned some teams. A top-10 talent in the draft and arguably the best defensive back, Johnson wound up being selected No. 47 overall and could prove to be a steal if he’s healthy.
Lining up almost exclusively as an outside corner, Johnson has shown he can excel in zone coverage, with his instincts being arguably his best skill. During the 2024 season, he made similarly impressive plays against Fresno State and USC by reading the quarterback’s eyes and jumping routes in the flat to take back the pick for a touchdown.
As far as the fit goes, Johnson couldn’t be walking into a better situation. The Arizona Cardinals had a need at outside corner that went unaddressed in free agency, meaning there will be snaps available right away. Furthermore, the Cardinals played the second-highest rate of zone coverage in the NFL last year, something that aligns with his best skills. Johnson should help Arizona’s defense take a step forward in 2025.
OT Myles Hinton – Philadelphia Eagles
Myles Hinton waited a bit longer to get drafted than Loveland and Johnson, but he similarly finds himself in a good spot. On Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles made Hinton one of their sixth-round selections. For the last decade or so, no other franchise has done as good of a job of building its offensive lines than Philly.
Because the Eagles have done a great job in this department, it’s unlikely Hinton will see significant snaps right away. However, that doesn’t mean he’s in a bad situation, as he’ll get to learn under Jeff Stoutland, one of the best offensive line coaches in the business. The hope is Hinton can develop into a solid depth piece or decent spot starter, which he’s more likely to accomplish under Stoudland’s tutelage.
Furthermore, Hinton brings some versatility to the table having played both right and left tackle. He could get some snaps on the inside at guard as well, something Philadelphia was able to do with Mekhi Becton last year after he’d failed to live up to his first-round pedigree as a tackle.
Hinton will also have a familiar face working alongside him, as he’ll re-unite with Trevor Keegan, who was a fifth-round pick by the Eagles last year.