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Michigan Players Are Terrible in the NFL

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teeedawg's picture
by teeedawg
April 19, 2024 at 1:42am
218 Comments

Michigan's success* since they started cheating in 2021 has led to six players drafted in the 1st and 2nd round of the NFL Draft. 

Theoretically, these players were properly drafted and their draft stock definitely didn't get inflated... right? Let's check the tape:

Mazi Smith (R1 2023)

Mazi Smith was the worst first round pick in 2023 and it's not particularly close. Brought in to be an elite run defender, Smith couldn't even get on the field. When he did, this happened:

Smith finished the year playing only four snaps, as the Packers ran all over the Cowboys.

Luke Schoonmaker (R2 2023)

Not to be outdone, Schoonmaker was clearly the worst second round pick in 2023.

Cowboy fans have banned Michigan players at this year's draft and for good reason.

The Cowboys basically spent a 2nd round pick on a special teamer.

Dax Hill (R1 2022) and DJ Turner (R2 2023)

Lumping Hill and Turner together after they combined for repeated blown coverages and missed tackles for the Bengals last season. Ask any Bengals fan - they are not starting caliber NFL players.

They graded out as two of the worst players in the NFL. Two guys praised for their football IQ and play recognition ability in college, were constantly getting torched for huge plays.

Aidan Hutchinson (R1 2022)

Hutchinson has been average, but the fact that he was drafted to his hometown Lions has skewed his public perception. He is nowhere close to a superstar pass rusher. Even though the Lions have an abysmal pass rush, other teams do not double team him. Despite this, Hutchinson still delivers a below average pass rush win rate.

Hutchinson is not even impacting the game to the level of Travon Walker. Has he delivered on the value of the #2 pick? Absolutely not.

When the Lions needed him most, Hutchinson delivered zero pressures in their playoff loss to the 49ers.

David Ojabo (R2 2022)

Ojabo has been alternating between injured and so atrocious that he needs to be benched.

When he did get on the field, Ojabo delivered a pass rush win rate of below 1%, good for worst in the entire NFL.

Conclusion

It's not just that these Michigan players are mildly disappointing - they are busting at a historic rate since 2021.

Read the draft scouting reports and a few common themes start to emerge:

  • Outstanding tape, always in the right place at the right time
  • High football IQ, excellent play anticipation
  • Incredible run game recognition, triggers downhill quickly

Pretty interesting considering, during the same two year window, CJ Stroud, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Paris Johnson, and Dawand Jones all delivered outstanding rookie seasons.

But Michigan just develops better, right?

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