The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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20 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2025 Tight ends will be featured heavily in new Bears head coach Ben Johnson's of- fense. Johnson was previously the offen- sive coordinator for the Detroit Lions and saw tight end Sam LaPorta haul in 146 catches for 1,615 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first two professional seasons (2023, '24). "I do see a lot of comparisons to La- Porta, but that's not just on the field, that's off the field as well," Johnson said. "The stage was never too bright for La- Porta, and I felt that same thing with Colston the first time I met him. He doesn't bat an eye, he performs at a high level, and where we are going in this orga- nization, we need guys who are going to rise up to the occasion and he's going to do that for us." Johnson was elated to take him at No. 10 overall. "With Colston, it starts more with the person than the player," Johnson said. "I love the tape, but when you get to know him as a man, it's really intriguing. It's who we want to be going forward." Loveland is the second-highest picked Michigan tight end of all time, behind Paul Seymour (seventh overall in 1973). DT KENNETH GRANT First Round (No. 13) Miami Dolphins Five Michigan defensive tackles have been chosen in the top 50 of the draft this century — Graham (No. 5 in 2025), Grant (No. 13 in 2025), Kris Jenkins (No. 49 in 2024), Smith (No. 26 in 2023) and Alan Branch (No. 33 in 2007). This marked the first year with two Wolver- ines at the position taken in the first round. Dolphins general manager Chris Grier believes Grant was well worth the pick at No. 13. "We think he's a tremendous player, and he's going to be a potential impact player for us," Grier said. "Very talented. Made of the right stuff. "We don't view him as just a run- stopper. We think he has the ability to push the pocket in the middle. We think he has tremendous work ethic and up- side to do that." Grier added that the 21-year-old Gary, Ind., native has "huge upside." "If you can add really good players at the line of scrimmage, we're excited about that," Miami head coach Mike McDaniel said. "We jumped on that with elation. He has been on our mind for a long time. We overly, thoroughly vetted." A mammoth defensive lineman, Grant measured in at 6-foot-4 and 331 pounds at the NFL Combine in late Feb- ruary. His athleticism at that size sets him apart, and that showed up on the field at Michigan. "Just my power and speed," Grant said of what separates him. "A lot of guys this size aren't really as fast as me or can do finesse things like me. So, I think just working off that, but for me right now, it's just all power, bull rush- ing and things like that." CB WILL JOHNSON Second Round (No. 47) Arizona Cardinals The 6-foot-2, 194-pound Detroit na- tive fell to the second round but was only motivated by his slide. "I'm on a mission now," Johnson said. "They definitely woke me up, for sure." Johnson's knee was an issue ahead of the 2023 season, and he received surgery. He had a slow ramp up at the beginning of that year but helped the Wolverines win the national champion- ship by notching 4 pass breakups and 4 interceptions. He started six games as a junior — with 6 pass breakups and 2 interceptions, both returned for touch- downs — before missing the remainder of the season with a turf toe injury. "They were saying things about my knee and all that, and I haven't really dealt with it in two years, so that's defi- nitely frustrating," he said about teams in the draft process. "But it's all good. I'm at where I'm supposed to be, and I'm just happy to be a Cardinal now. "I know how my body feels, so I'm just going to go out there and show that on Sundays and show everybody what they missed out on." Arizona general manager Monti Os- senfort said the Cardinals were com- fortable with Johnson's health, and head coach Jonathan Gannon believes the fit is much more important than where the pick was in the draft. "I completely understand his emo- tions," Gannon said. "But he'll quickly realize when he steps in the building, it's not where you get drafted, it's what you do with it." Michigan hasn't had a first-round pick at the cornerback position since Leon Hall — the No. 18 selection — in 2007. But the Wolverines have now had a cornerback taken in the second round three straight drafts, with Johnson join- ing Mike Sainristil (2024) and DJ Turner (2023). Defensive tackle Kenneth Grant went to the Miami Dolphins at No. 13, marking three first-round selections for the Wolverines and matching their previous best outputs in 1995 and 2001. PHOTO COURTESY MIAMI DOLPHINS