The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 147 1. DE Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions Named to the Associated Press All- Pro second team, Aidan Hutchinson had a tremendous 2025 campaign coming off the season-ending leg injury sustained the previous Octo- ber. The 6-foot-7, 268-pounder tallied 54 tackles, along with 14.5 sacks to rank fourth in the NFL. His 100 pres- sures tied as the second-most in the league, along with the Los An- geles Rams' Jared Verse and Jack- sonville's Josh Hines-Allen and be- hind only Houston's Will Anderson Jr. 2. WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans For the second time in his career, joining the 2023 campaign, Nico Collins finished top 10 in the NFL in total receiving yards, putting up a team-high 1,117 to tie for ninth. The 6-foot-4, 222-pounder earned a spot in the Pro Bowl while catching 71 passes and scoring 6 touchdowns. Top Five NFL Seasons In 2025 James Hudson III OT 5 New England Patriots Agreed to a one-year deal with the New England Patriots … Competed in 11 contests with two starts at left tackle for the New York Giants but was let go in the middle of the 2025 season. Maurice Hurst DT 8 Free agent Signed back with the Cleveland Browns midseason in 2025, appearing in two games … Played in 65 contests with 19 starts in his career and is now searching for a new home. Aidan Hutchinson DL 4 Detroit Lions Ranked fourth in the NFL with 14.5 sacks and added 54 tackles, 14 TFL, 4 forced fumbles, 3 pass breakups, 1 fumble recovery and 1 interception … Finished second in the 2025 NFL Comeback Player of the Year balloting after coming off a broken leg suffered in October 2024. Kris Jenkins DT 2 Cincinnati Bengals Recorded 36 tackles, 2 TFL and 1.5 sacks in 14 appearances with four starts last season … Slated to back up Jonathan Allen and newly acquired Dexter Lawrence on the interior of the defensive line. Cornelius Johnson WR 2 Baltimore Ravens Spent last season on the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad and will compete for a roster spot. Will Johnson CB 1 Arizona Cardinals Notched 37 tackles, 2 TFL, 10 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble in 12 games with 10 starts as a rookie, earning Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie recognition. Trevor Keegan OG 1 Dallas Cowboys Appeared in only two outings last year, including one on the offensive line at left guard. Marlin Klein TE R Houston Texans Fourth-highest tight end selection as a second-round pick, No. 59 overall. Jourdan Lewis CB 9 Jacksonville Jaguars Recorded 39 tackles, 5 TFL, 10 pass breakups, 2 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery in 12 contests with seven starts, before suffering a season-ending foot injury in late- December. David Long Jr. CB 7 Free agent Spent part of last season on the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad. Colston Loveland TE 1 Chicago Bears First-round pick made 58 catches for 713 yards and 6 scores in 16 regular-season games with 11 starts … Went off for 12 catches and 193 yards in two playoff contests … Landed on ESPN's All-Rookie Team and chosen as the Bears' Rookie of the Year. J.J. McCarthy QB 2 Minnesota Vikings Will battle with former Arizona Cardinals signal-caller Kyler Murray for the start- ing job … Went 6-4 in 10 starts but dealt with injuries … Completed 57.6 percent of his passes (140-of-243) for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns with 12 intercep- tions … Added 181 rushing yards and 4 scores on 37 attempts. Donaven McCulley WR R Miami Dolphins Signed as undrafted free agent. Braiden McGregor EDGE 2 New York Jets Posted 15 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL and 1 pass breakup in 12 appearances off the bench in 2025. Cameron McGrone LB 5 Las Vegas Raiders Was on the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns last season and signed with the Raiders this offseason … Tallied 2 tackles in five tilts in 2025. 4. TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears Even as a rookie, Colston Loveland was quarterback Caleb Williams' fa- vorite target. He was targeted 106 times, with 70 receptions for 906 yards and 6 touchdowns between the regular season and playoffs. Loveland made a team-high 9 contested catches, per Pro Football Focus, and moved the chains for first downs 44 times out of his 70 catches. 3. OL Michael Onwenu, New England Patriots Michael Onwenu started every game at right guard for the AFC cham- pion New England Patriots, ranking ninth among NFL guards with a 77.1 overall PFF rating (minimum 100 snaps). Notably, Onwenu was terrific in pass protection, grading out at 78.2 to check in fourth among the same group. 5. TE AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks The league's 15th-best run-blocking tight end per PFF (minimum 100 snaps) was a difference-maker in the passing game, too, with 52 recep- tions for 519 yards and 6 touchdowns during the regular season. Barner had a quiet postseason until the Super Bowl, when he made 4 grabs for 54 yards and 1 touchdown in the victory over New England. PHOTO COURTESY DETROIT LIONS PHOTO COURTESY CHICAGO BEARS