The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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20 THE WOLVERINE ❱ APRIL 2025 some of these guys, pretty good athletes in this class, but I'm intelligent, know a lot of football. I think that's what stands out for me." Grant can rush the passer, but his pas- sion lies in stopping the run and it is a trait of his game he takes the most seri- ously. "I always pride myself on stopping the run," he said. "Moving sideline to sideline and trying to make plays. That's what de- fensive linemen should strive for." MYLES HINTON Ht./Wt.: 6-7 • 323 Arm: 34⅛" Hand: 10¼" Vertical jump: 31.5" 20-yard shuttle: 4.96 The son of Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor inductee Chris Hinton Sr. did not run a 40-yard dash at the combine, but recorded a vertical jump, posted a 20- yard shuttle time of 4.96 seconds and did positional drills at the event. The of- fensive tackle is considered a late-round pick/potential priority free agent. "Hinton comes off the bus with an imposing body type and an impressive bloodline," NFL.com says of his skill set. "His mom played basketball at North- western and his dad was an All-Pro of- fensive tackle. Hinton is borderline elite when pulling into space and easily ad- justs his body to hit targets on the move. He plays tall and lacks first-contact ag- gression at the point of attack but can do his job at a decent clip. Hinton can slow a bull rush and mirror inside counters, but he too often mistimes his punch and leans or lunges at the top of the rush. His tape might not dazzle, but there aren't many players with his physical gifts. The allure of unlocking Hinton's upside will be enticing for teams looking for swing tackle help." WILL JOHNSON Ht./Wt.: 6-2 • 194 Arm: 30⅛" Hand: 9⅛" Johnson didn't participate in com- bine workouts but plans to compete at Michigan's March 21 pro day. He is a projected top-15 selection but is not fo- cusing too much on where he might end up, instead preparing for when he does land on a team for next season. "I try not to think about it too much, because you never know where you're going to go, you never know what's go- ing to happen," Johnson said in an in- terview with Pro Football Talk. "I try to do everything I can to impress these teams, show these teams why I'll be a great player for them, work my hard- est to put myself in a great position for when I get there, and then let everything handle itself." Johnson is ranked by most analysts as the second-best cornerback in the draft, behind only Colorado's Travis Hunter. There's a catch, though: Hunter is also slated to play wideout in the NFL, like he did in college, so Johnson is the top defense-only cornerback. He was asked if he's tired of hearing about Hunter. "A lot of respect for him," Johnson re- plied. "He won the Heisman, he's done a lot of great things, but I know I'm the best corner in this draft. I'm going to wait until I get on the field and let the play do the talking." Johnson missed Michigan's final six games of the 2024 season with turf toe. Head coach Sherrone Moore said at one point that he expected Johnson back, but the ailment lingered. "It sounds like it's 'just a toe,' but I had torn some ligaments in my toe, so I couldn't run, couldn't plant, couldn't do anything like that for a while, really, until mid-January," Johnson revealed. He said he hasn't had any setbacks since. "Feel great," Johnson added. COLSTON LOVELAND Ht./Wt.: 6-6 • 248 Arm: 32¾" Hand: 10" Loveland underwent right shoulder (labrum repair and AC joint reconstruc- tion) surgery performed by Dr. Neal Running back Kalel Mullings, still banged up from injuries suffered in the win against Ohio State, did not participate in drills during the NFL Scouting Combine. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of Mullings, "For someone that's 226 pounds, I thought he had vision, I thought he ran with balance and can push the pile." PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL