The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JUNE/JULY 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 21 Best Fit: DT Mazi Smith (Dallas Cowboys) The Cowboys have needed an interior disruptor for years, it feels like. Smith has the potential to be that, and the former headliner of Bruce Feld- man's "College Football Freaks List" has all the tools he needs to do what Dallas will ask of him. Pairing him with former Penn State star Micah Parsons on the defensive line is going to command a lot of attention from opposing defenses. Someone is going to require a double team, and we know that Smith is capable of taking those on. If someone decides to put the attention on Parsons, we could finally see Smith unlock more of his pass-rush repertoire. This was a high-floor addition for the Cowboys and a tailor-made situa- tion for Smith. "Smith is another one of my favorite players. He's a power player who can hold up against the run, but I think he will be a better pass rusher than people expect," CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco said. "He just needs to keep his weight in check." Most Surprising: K Jake Moody (San Francisco 49ers) Kickers going on Day 2 of the NFL Draft are rare, and Moody became just the fourth player to achieve that feat this century. Draftniks will argue that this was too high. But Moody is a stone-cold killer and gets to join a loaded franchise with Super Bowl ex- pectations. He's going to get the chance to make a lot of consequential kicks for a 49ers team that has designs on being a contender well into the future. "The San Francisco 49ers making Michigan's Jake Moody the highest-drafted kicker since Roberto Aguayo went 59th overall in 2018 says a lot about where the team stood on special teams and how it views Moody," Bleacher Report's Brent Soblieski said. "At the same time, all the team has to do is look at another kicker on the roster in Zane Gon- zalez to see how easily a selection for a kicker can backfire. The Cleveland Browns drafted Gonzalez in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He flamed out in less than two seasons. Moody is an excellent talent, but the position is finicky." Most Likely To Outperform Draft Pick: C Olu Oluwatimi (Seattle Seahawks) There is not a ton of versatility to Oluwatimi's game, and he will most likely strictly play center in the NFL. But the Seahawks may have made one of the best value picks in the draft when they were able to land the Outland and Rimington Trophy winner in the fifth round. He could compete for a starting job from Day 1 and wind up being a longtime fixture on the of- fensive line. "He has plenty of length for the position," CBS Sports' Josh Edwards said. "He's not an athletic, twitchy specimen but a well-sized, very refined blocker who can step in and excel right away in a system that won't ask him to fly around in space too frequently." Keep An Eye On: TE Luke Schoonmaker (Dallas Cowboys) Schoonmaker has some untapped potential, which made him worth a chance on Day 2. The Cowboys want to get more physical and run the ball more, so it makes sense to add a Michigan player to fit that mission statement. He can bring the best of both worlds to a Dallas offense that seeks balance as it hopes to turn itself into a legitimate threat in the NFC. Schoonmaker is on the older side, which some will use as a knock against him, but his maturity and well-rounded skill set could be worth watching. " Tremendous size (6-5¼, 251) coupled with a quality senior year led Schoonmaker to a solid senior season at Michigan," The Athletic's Scott Dochterman said. "Despite a pair of shoulder inju- ries, Schoonmaker finished with 35 catches for 418 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Big Ten champion Wolverines. It was his only season as Michigan's primary tight end. "Schoonmaker ran the 40 in 4.63 seconds at the combine. Perhaps he's not physically elite in any area, but he's solid enough as a route runner and a blocker to become an asset as a No. 2 or No. 3 tight end." Best Reunion: CB DJ Turner (Cincinnati Bengals) The Bengals went back to the U-M well for defen- sive back help one year after drafting Daxton Hill in the first round. Cincinnati is a team that is looking to stay in the thick of the AFC championship hunt and has made adding athleticism on the back end a priority in an increasingly pass-happy NFL. Turner and Hill stabilized the Michigan secondary playing together in 2021 and were key cogs in the stretch run that season. As Michigan alum Rich Eisen said on the NFL Network broadcast, if you're going to run an organization in Cincinnati, it is best to bring in players that know how to win in the state of Ohio. "They'll know each other, and Dax can kind of give him the lay of the land a little bit," Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. "But if they're out there at the same time, they've played together before. It certainly helps, but it's just a piece to the puzzle. The familiarity that they both have with each other can only help. "When they come from big programs like this, they're gonna walk into the stadium and you know they're gonna be used to the place being full. They're not gonna flinch when it comes to that part of it." Unsung Hero: WR Ronnie Bell (San Francisco 49ers) Bell can bring a solid skill set and special teams value to the NFC contender. It would be a surprise to most if he broke out as anything more than a fourth wide receiver and kick returner, but he has made a habit out of outperforming rankings and expectations. There could be a role for him with the 49ers. "There isn't a ton of room for pass catchers in the 49ers' offense, so it's the smaller aspects of the position that could lead to Bell making the team as a rookie," Kyle Madson of Niners Wire wrote. "He's a good blocker and plays with a hard-nosed style that should help him contribute right away on special teams. That blocking ability will be Step 1 to getting on the field on offense. — Anthony Broome Michigan's NFL Draft Superlatives Olu Oluwatimi, the nation's best center and lineman on either side of the ball in 2022, was a high-value pick for the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. GRAPHIC COURTESY MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Second-round draft pick DJ Turner will be reunited with former U-M teammate Dax Hill in the Cincinnati Bengals' secondary. GRAPHIC COURTESY MICHIGAN FOOTBALL