The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2021 THE WOLVERINE 43 ears back and just go, because he was playing inside the tackles a lot. He only had two sacks last year and 11.5 in his career, and they're not numbers that blow you away. He'll get NFL coaching and they'll put him in spots where he can just rush the passer. "Teams like that he's equally ef- fective against both the pass and the run, because he locates the football and has a good GPS for where the ball is going. He cuts off angles and makes plays in the backfield. "Paye was a team captain, overcame a lot and has a great backstory, so he's an easy player for NFL teams to like. Somewhere in the first round is where I think he'll go, and he'll give an NFL club what they're looking for." Trapasso: "He's my No. 2 edge rusher in this draft class behind Geor- gia's Azeez Ojulari. I think he'll go anywhere from pick No. 11 to No. 22. Paye didn't weigh in as impressively as people thought at Michigan's pro day, but it's all about the film with him. He's an ascending edge rusher on tape and showed improvements in his moves from 2019 to 2020. "We know he has explosiveness and is bendy, so he's one of the edge rushers in this class who also has a high ceiling because of his athleti- cism. In the four games he played in 2020, we saw him use his hands to beat blockers more frequently than he did earlier in his career." CORNERBACK AMBRY THOMAS Brugler: "We're missing a full year of tape on him. He was a first-year starter as a junior in 2019 and put himself on the NFL map. Going into 2020, I thought he might be a top-two round guy in the draft. Each team looks at opt-outs differently, though he's still someone who will get top- 100 consideration. "I think Thomas will go somewhere in that fourth-round range. He's quick-footed and is a flexible player, and has enough speed to attach him- self to routes, while also jamming people at the line of scrimmage. I like his mental process because he sorts out what he sees and puts himself in position to make plays. "Thomas didn't give up big plays in 2019, and when there were com- pletions he yielded, he was still ball searching. He was always trying to rip the ball out and took advan- tage of some bad throws with three picks as a junior. I just wish we had more tape on him. He's nevertheless very talented and has starting poten- tial in the NFL." Trapasso: "I think he's probably go- ing to go somewhere during the third day of the draft — fourth to sixth round seems to be the sweet spot for him. This might be a more surpris- ing draft than we've had in the past when considering everything that's happened over the past year. "The fact that he's under 6-0 and around 190 pounds won't hurt him in today's NFL, because there are so many wide receivers who are super quick and can get open with good regularity. "Thomas has explosiveness that teams like and showed it at his pro day. He had a 38-inch vertical and has long arms. He also played a lot of man coverage at Michigan and is fast, running a 4.37 40-yard dash at his pro day. I don't think he'll be a full-time starter as a rookie but could see the field early and often." ❑ Post-Pro Day Mock Draft Projections For Michigan's Prospects Round Overall Pick (Team) Outlet DE Kwity Paye 1 10 (Dallas Cowboys) Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network 1 11 (New York Giants) Luke Easterling of USA Today 1 14 (Minnesota Vikings) Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports 1 14 (Minnesota Vikings) Pro Football Focus' Andrew Erickson 1 14 (Minnesota Vikings) Pro Football Focus' Austin Gayle 1 14 (Minnesota Vikings) Peter Schrager of NFL Network 1 18 (Miami Dolphins) Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports 1 18 (Miami Dolphins) Josh Edwards of CBS Sports 1 21 (Indianapolis Colts) Pro Football Focus' Ben Linsey 1 23 (New York Jets) Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News OT Jalen Mayfield 1 22 (Tennessee Titans) Luke Easterling of USA Today 1 31 (Kansas City Chiefs) Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News 1 31 (Kansas City Chiefs) Josh Edwards of CBS Sports 2 39 (Carolina Panthers) Nick Farabaugh of Pro Football Network 2 57 (Los Angeles Rams) Pro Football Focus' Austin Gayle WR Nico Collins 2 58 (Baltimore Ravens) Drae Harris of The Draft Network 3 94 (Kansas City Chiefs) Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network 3 104 (Baltimore Ravens) Josh Edwards of CBS Sports 5 153 (New York Giants) Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com LB Cameron McGrone 3 80 (Las Vegas Raiders) Nick Farabaugh of Pro Football Network 3 84 (Philadelphia Eagles) Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network 3 93 (Buffalo Bills) Josh Edwards of CBS Sports CB Ambry Thomas 3 89 (Cleveland Browns) Josh Edwards of CBS Sports 3 93 (Buffalo Bills) Nick Farabaugh of Pro Football Network 5 159 (Los Angeles Chargers) Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com DL Carlo Kemp 6 217 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Josh Edwards of CBS Sports RB Chris Evans 6 220 (Green Bay Packers) Josh Edwards of CBS Sports