The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1523593
THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 149 Mazi Smith DT 1 Dallas Cowboys The 2023 first-round pick registered 13 tackles, 3 stops for loss, 1 sack and 3 quarterback hits in 17 outings with three starts last season … Predicted to start on the interior of the line. Andrew Stueber OL 2 New England Patriots Has yet to make his NFL debut … Was on the Patriots' practice squad last year. Ambry Thomas CB 3 San Francisco 49ers Logged six starts in 15 games, tallying 43 tackles, 7 pass breakups and 1 intercep- tion last regular season. DJ Turner II CB 1 Cincinnati Bengals Started 12 of 17 games with 50 tackles (40 solo), 2 tackles for loss and 7 pass breakups in 2023 … Expected to start this coming year, although he will face competition from former U-M teammate Daxton Hill, who is making the switch to cornerback after starting 17 games at safety a year ago. James Turner K R Free Agent Signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions after the 2024 Draft in April but was waived on June 18 when the team signed UFL star Jake Bates. Joshua Uche LB 4 New England Patriots Re-signed with the Patriots in free agency, coming off a 15-tackle, 3-sack, 6-quar- terback hit season with 15 appearances and two starts. Ben VanSumeren LB 1 Philadelphia Eagles Eagles writer Brooks Kubena of The Athletic predicts he will be on the practice squad this season, after recording 13 tackles in nine games with one start in 2023. Luiji Vilain LB 2 Carolina Panthers Played one game each for the Panthers and Minnesota Vikings in 2023 and spent most of the season as a practice squad player. Josh Wallace CB R Los Angeles Rams The undrafted free agent will fight for a roster spot. Julius Welschof OLB R Pittsburgh Steelers The former Michigan (2018-22) and Charlotte (2023) defensive lineman was picked up as an undrafted free agent. Roman Wilson WR R Pittsburgh Steelers The No. 84 overall pick, going in the third round of the 2024 draft … Slots in as a projected starter in the Steelers' revamped receiving corps. Chris Wormley DT 7 Free Agent Saw time in five games for the Carolina Panthers in 2023. Zak Zinter OG R Cleveland Browns Drafted in the third round and No. 85 overall … Is projected to be a backup at guard his first year. 0 NFL snaps taken by a Michigan quarterback in 2023, after Tom Brady dominated the league for 23 seasons from 2000-22. Brady — who took 20,220 offensive snaps from when PFF began tracking the stat in 2001 to 2022 — and Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller Chad Henne both retired following the 2022 season. 2 Michigan products on PFF's ranking of the top 100 players in the NFL for the 2023 season — Detroit Lions defensive line- man Aidan Hutchinson at No. 17 and Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Col- lins at No. 34. 10 Straight years in which at least one Michigan player won the Super Bowl, with Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Michael Danna taking home a second straight title with a 25- 22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas. 13 Wolverines selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, a program record and the fourth-most of any school. J.J. MCCARTHY was the high- est pick, selected by the Minnesota Vikings at No. 10 overall. He is only the third U-M quarterback ever taken in the first round, joining Forest Evashevski (1941) and his college coach, Jim Harbaugh (1987). BY THE NUMBERS The 2023 NFL Season $107 Million is the combined value of newly signed contracts by former U-M offensive line- men this offseason — MICHAEL ONWENU ($57 million, New England Patriots), Jon Ru- nyan ($30 million, New York Giants) and Graham Glasgow ($20 million, Detroit Lions). PHOTO BY KEVIN A. KOSKI/NFLPA PHOTO BY DAVID SILVERMAN/NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS