Mike Morris NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Michigan DL
Dec 31, 2022
Michigan linebacker Mike Morris plays during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
HEIGHT: 6'5"
WEIGHT: 275
HAND: 10"
ARM: 33 1/2"
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: 4.95
3-CONE: 7.46
SHUTTLE: 4.65
VERTICAL: 28.5"
BROAD: 9'2"
POSITIVES
— Great size and strength for an NFL defensive end, and he has some pop in his hands to lock out offensive tackles one-on-one. Solid hand placement when taking on blocks too.
— Physical at the point of attack and sets the edge pretty easily with his upper-body strength.
— Refuses to get blocked by tight ends and can close the gap with them.
— Squeezes and comes straight down the line of scrimmage when unblocked on the backside of zone runs to make tackles near the line of scrimmage.
— Times the snap well on passing downs to help make up for some of his lack of acceleration on the line of scrimmage, and he takes good angles off the edge as a pass-rusher to beat tackles with slower feet.
— Has good leg drive when bull-rushing to help collapse the pocket against offensive tackles. Also does a good job of working to get on an edge and has a couple of good counters off the bull, like a cross chop, club over and rip move.
— Decent at turning speed to power as a rusher.
— Good pass-rushing motor to get coverage sacks, and he gets his hands up if he can't get to the quarterback to bat balls at the line of scrimmage.
NEGATIVES
— Doesn't show a lot of athletic ability on the field and isn't quick-twitched.
— Subpar acceleration off the line of scrimmage, which becomes an issue when he doesn't time up the snap.
— Has a habit of stopping his feet on contact and stands up out of his stance too much for his height. He'll get washed out by double-teams and might struggle against more physical offensive tackles at the next level.
— Struggles to recognize and get underneath pullers as the spill player in run fits, he will get kicked out occasionally on the front side of power and counter.
— Hasn't shown many finesse moves he can win around the edge with as a pass-rusher at the next level, partially because he needs to be more accurate with his initial chops to get the offensive lineman's hands down when working a move.
—Injuries: 2019 (hip, missed season); 2022 (leg, missed two games)
— 16 career starts, played behind Aidan Hutchinson (2022 second overall pick) and David Ojabo (2022 second-round pick)
— 2022 Honors: Second-team All-American (FWAA), Academic All-Big Ten, first-team All-Big Ten, Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year
— 2021 Honors: Academic All-Big Ten
— Father played offensive line at Florida State, and sister played basketball at Georgetown
OVERALL
After being hidden behind a couple of top-50 picks last season, Mike Morris burst onto the scene and was one of the most physically dominant edge defenders in the country. He's aggressive at the point of attack and might have the best upper-body strength of any defensive end in this year's draft class.
Morris puts his power to good use as a pass-rusher and against the run, as he can collapse the pocket with a bull rush and can be hard to block one-on-one. However, the NFL Scouting Combine will be important for him, as he didn't show a ton of impressive athletic traits on the field.
Probably the biggest concern with the Michigan product moving forward is whether he has enough athletic ability and bend to win around the edge and add a finesse move or two to his pass-rushing arsenal.
That could make his scheme fit a little difficult, as he'll need to show more athleticism to play as an edge in an odd or even front, and he's not big enough to play as a 3-technique. Right now, his best fit is as a defensive end in an even front for a team that is looking for a power-rusher.
Michigan made its College Football Playoff debut in the 2021 season, and things didn't go nearly as well as the team had hoped. The Wolverines lost by 23...
Eyabi Okie NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Michigan Edge
Dec 30, 2022
ANN ARBOR, MI - SEPTEMBER 03: Michigan Wolverines defensive end Eyabi Anoma (18) wraps his arms around Colorado State Rams quarterback Clay Millen (11) during the second quarter of a non-conference college football game between the Colorado State Rams and the Michigan Wolverines on September 3, 2022 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
HEIGHT: 6'5"
WEIGHT: 244
HAND: TBD
ARM: TBD
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: TBD
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: TBD
VERTICAL: TBD
BROAD: TBD
POSITIVES
– Impressive get-off with his quick reaction to the snap and good acceleration off the line of scrimmage; he can put pressure on offensive tackles vertically as a pass-rusher.
– Uses head/shoulder fakes during the stem phase of a rush to help set up his moves.
– He has the change of direction and quickness to develop an inside stick move if his use of his hands improves.
– Keeps his legs pumping through contact when bull-rushing or turning speed to power to collapse the pocket against weaker tackles.
– Has shown impressive strength as a tackler by bringing running backs and quarterbacks down with one arm.
NEGATIVES
– Lean frame, needs to add more size and functional strength when taking on blocks to hold his ground better versus one-on-one blocks from offensive linemen.
– Poor use of his hands as a run defender and pass-rusher; he'll get caught with his hands by his waist and exposes his chest, making getting off blocks and defeating the hands in pass rush extremely difficult.
– Needs a better pass-rushing plan throughout the game. For example, he'll try a ghost rush without setting it up by winning with a few one-arm stab moves, making the ghost rush less effective.
– Struggles to stay on balance and fight through chip blocks.
– Primarily a situational pass-rusher at Michigan and UT Martin.
– On his fourth team in five years, dismissed from Alabama and Houston.
– Dismissed from Alabama reportedly for tardiness, skipping class, clashing with teammates and insubordination and was dismissed from Houston for "some of the same issues," according to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports; left UT Martin on good terms
– 10 career starts
– 2021 Honors: OVC All-Newcomer Team, All-OVC Third Team (Phil Steele)
– 2018 Honors: SEC All-Freshman Team
– Had 46 sacks in last two years of high school
– Averaged 11.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in basketball during the 2015-16 season
OVERALL
Before even talking about football or what he can do on the field, Eyabi Okie (formerly Anoma) will have to answer questions about what happened at Alabama and Houston. He's said his issues at those two stops had to do with maturity, and to his credit, he's stayed out of trouble since leaving the Cougars.
On the field, Okie has shown off a few of the traits that made him a top-five recruit, as he's clearly a good athlete, most notably with his impressive get-off/acceleration. He could be an effective pass-rusher in the NFL, but his lack of success as a run defender is concerning.
Both Michigan and UT Martin used him primarily as a situational pass-rusher, which is surprising for a player who was once considered one of the top recruits in the country. He's just not strong enough to hold up at the point of attack against the run, and that coupled with his poor use of his hands makes getting off blocks a challenge.
Also, while the Baltimore native did rack up six sacks for the Skyhawks, he didn't dominate at the FCS level as one might expect. And it's concerning that he didn't take over the starting role at Michigan when Mike Morris went down at the end of the regular season.
All of that being said, he has enough traits and a good enough resume to still be draftable for an odd-front team that is looking for a standup outside linebacker and/or a third-down pass-rusher toward the end of Day 3.
Mazi Smith NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Michigan DL
Dec 30, 2022
Michigan defensive lineman Mazi Smith (58) rushes against Connecticut offensive lineman Noel Ofori-Nyadu (62) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
HEIGHT: 6'3"
WEIGHT: 323
HAND: 9 3/4"
ARM: 33 3/4"
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: TBD
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: TBD
VERTICAL: 29.5"
BROAD: 8'11"
POSITIVES
— Unique blend of size, strength and athletic ability. He carries his frame well, too, with little to no bad weight.
— Tons of power in his hands to stand up to offensive linemen at the point of attack. He can gain control of the block fairly easily, and his upper body strength will occasionally allow him to recover if he gets beat initially against the run.
— Takes on blocks with a wide base.
— When he anticipates the second blocker coming, he can absorb contact and split double-teams.
— Sheds blocks pretty easily and has shown the ability to escape with a swim move/arm over, too.
— Has the potential to be an effective power rusher at the next level if his get-off can improve to be more consistent with his bull rush.
— Also showed flashes of winning with hump and club-by moves and can develop a push-pull move if he gets more limber with his lower half to clear his hips and get a clean win.
— When slanting as a pass-rusher, he has a little more time to get his hands up and has a decent hand-swipe move that he can win with.
NEGATIVES
— Late reaction to the snap and doesn't have much initial quickness off the ball. This could become a big issue against scoop blocks and reaches at the next level.
— Likes to stand up out of his stance. Quick interior offensive linemen who play with good leverage will be his nemesis against the run at the next level.
— He's slow to get his hands up as a run defender, which will expose his chest and can lead to his shoulders getting turned versus combo and scoop blocks.
— The effectiveness of his bull rush is inconsistent because of his poor get-off and wide hand placement.
— Needs to add a violent rip to the end of pass-rush moves to get offensive linemen off of him when he does win. He lets them hang on too long and will get ridden past the quarterback.
— Doesn't pass rush with much of a plan or a motor. He'll quit if his first move doesn't work.
2022 STATISTICS
— 14 GM, 48 TOT, 2.5 TFL, 0.5 SK, 1 FF
NOTES
— DOB: June 16, 2001
— No. 1 on Bruce Feldman's list of top athletes entering the season, 22 bench reps at 325 lbs, 550 lbs close-grip bench, 33" vert, 6.95-second 3-cone
— Charged with felony weapons possession, per Detroit Free Press, pled guilty to misdemeanor weapons possession, per ESPN, from a traffic stop on Oct. 7
— 27 career starts
— 2022 Honors: First-team All-Big Ten
— 2021 Honors: Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (coaches and media), Academic All-Big Ten
— 2020 Honors: Academic All-Big Ten
OVERALL
The Athletic's Bruce Feldman ranked the 6'3", 337-pound Smith first on his list of players with "unique physical abilities that wow even those who observe gifted athletes every day". Mazi Smith caught everyone's attention heading into this season with his rare blend of size, strength and athleticism. He's shown flashes of some All-Pro caliber traits, but consistency has been a major issue and a large reason why he's been fairly unproductive in college.
Heading into the playoffs, Smith only had half a sack and five tackles for loss in two seasons as a starter, and he would disappear on tape far too often for someone with his physical gifts. Conditioning might play a factor in that, too, as his pass-rush motor is sub-par.
A lot of Smith's lack of production is rooted in his get-off—or lack thereof—and being faster off of the ball will solve a lot of his problems as a run defender and pass-rusher. Michigan did have him two-gap a lot, which can hinder a defensive lineman's initial quickness, but he was still slow off the ball, even when one-gapping or penetrating.
The Wolverine is more traits and tools than a finished project, but it's going to be hard to find more defensive tackles with more potential than he has, meaning his best football could be ahead of him.
Schematically, Smith would be best as a 0- to 2i-technique in either odd or even fronts, and he could potentially play as a 3-technique if he adds some quickness down the line. It's just a matter of how patient teams are willing to be with him as a team hoping for a defensive tackle to make an immediate impact might be looking elsewhere.
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Fiesta Bowl 2022: Updated Odds and Comments for Michigan vs. TCU
Dec 22, 2022
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh watches from the sidelines during the first half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game against Purdue, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Michigan has never won a College Football Playoff game. The Wolverines lost in their CFP debut in the 2021 season, falling to Georgia in the Orange Bowl, which was a semifinal matchup.
TCU has never played in a College Football Playoff game. The Horned Frogs have mostly struggled since the four-team format was introduced ahead of the 2014 season.
One of these programs will soon be notching its first CFP win and advancing to play for the national championship. Which one will it be? That will be decided on Dec. 31.
No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU are set to face off in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on New Year's Eve. The winner will advance to face the victor of the Peach Bowl, which features a matchup between No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 Ohio State.
Here's all of the latest information on this year's Fiesta Bowl, including odds, comments and more.
Fiesta Bowl Odds
Spread: Michigan (-8)
Over/Under: 58.5 total points
Moneyline: Michigan -305 (bet $305 to win $100); TCU +255 (bet $100 to win $255)
Michigan has rolled through the 2022 season, winning each of its first 13 games. It won a big matchup against Ohio State to end the regular season, then took down Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Now, the Wolverines will face a challenging opponent in TCU. Although the Horned Frogs lost to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game, they won each of their 12 games before that. So the Fiesta Bowl has the potential to be a competitive game.
If Michigan is going to end up on top, it likely will need to find a way to limit the production of TCU senior quarterback Max Duggan, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist and is having a stellar season.
"We'll be fired up to compete against a relentless competitor like him," Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh said, per Josh Henschke of Maize & Blue Review.
Duggan has passed for 3,321 yards, 30 touchdowns and only four interceptions in 13 games. He's also rushed for 405 yards and six scores.
The talented QB is the primary reason why TCU led the Big 12 in points (40.3) and total yards (473) this season.
"Nothing but tremendous respect for the type of competitor that he is," Harbaugh said, per Henschke. "And it's going to be a huge challenge getting ready for a quarterback like that. All I have seen is just relentless competitor, super-talented, tremendous effort."
But Michigan's defense has excelled in tough matchups already this season. The Wolverines have allowed only 277.1 total yards per game, which ranked third best among FBS teams. Their 13.4 points allowed per contest ranked fifth.
In 13 games, Michigan has allowed more than 17 points only three times.
Duggan is ready for the challenge. Not only because the Wolverines have been dominant this season, but because the school has thrived for so many years.
"You get to play a great program that has so much history, and that's what you want," Duggan said, per The Athletic's Sam Khan Jr. "You want to play the best."
Michigan has had steady leadership for quite some time. Harbaugh took over as the head coach at his alma mater ahead of the 2015 season, and it took him no time to get the program on track. The Wolverines have won 10 or more games in five of his eight seasons at the helm, including his first two and the past two.
Sonny Dykes is also having immediate success at TCU. He took over as the Horned Frogs' head coach prior to the 2022 campaign. Before that, they hadn't won more than seven games in any of the previous four seasons.
"It's been quite a journey from where we were this time last year to where we are today," Dykes said, per Khan. "You got to give our players and everybody associated with our program a ton of credit for just believing and doing things the right way."
On Dec. 31, one of these two teams will be taking another big step forward and moving on to the CFP National Championship Game, which is set for Jan. 9. And at that point, they'll be only one win away from a national title.
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Michigan's Blake Corum '50-50' on Returning to School, Entering 2023 NFL Draft
Dec 20, 2022
BLOOMINGTON, IN - OCTOBER 08: Blake Corum #2 of the Michigan Wolverines is seen before the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium on October 8, 2022 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Michigan running back Blake Corum hasn't made a final decision on whether to return to the Wolverines next season or declare for the 2023 NFL draft.
Corum told ESPN's Adam Schefter that he's "50-50" and still weighing his options:
Michigan RB @blake_corum said today that he is “50-50” about whether to turn pro or stay in school.
Corum also said recently that he'll come to a decision "sooner than later," per Angelique Chengelis of The Detroit News. The deadline for players to declare for the 2023 draft is Jan. 16.
The 22-year-old is in his third season with the Wolverines. In 12 games this season, he rushed for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also caught 11 passes for 80 yards and one score.
However, Corum's year was cut short after he underwent season-ending knee surgery following an injury in a Nov. 19 matchup against Illinois. He was widely considered a Heisman Trophy candidate before being sidelined.
During his time at Michigan, Corum has rushed for 2,489 yards and 31 touchdowns in 30 games, in addition to catching 40 passes for 294 yards and two scores.
Corum won't get the chance to help Michigan compete for the national title in the College Football Playoff because of his injury. The No. 2 Wolverines will begin their playoff journey against No. 3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.
If Corum thinks Michigan can get back to the CFP in 2023, that could also play into his decision. If he decides to return to Ann Arbor for another season, it could also help his draft stock.
However, Corum is still expected to be one of the top picks at his position in the 2023 draft despite his injury.
Some of the other top running backs who have or are expected to declare for the 2023 NFL draft include Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Zach Evans and Mohamed Ibrahim. Robinson has been viewed as a potential first-round pick, which has become rare for running backs of late.
The Michigan Wolverines are set for a second straight appearance in the College Football Playoff and will next face TCU in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31. ...
