Michigan Football: Over 20 Players Could Declare For The 2024 NFL Draft

For Michigan, the high expectations for the 2023 season also come with a sense of urgency, mostly due to the fact that the Wolverines could lose a significant amount of talent to the 2024 NFL Draft.

It's no secret that most folks around Ann Arbor - including those within Schembechler Hall - are viewing the 2023 season as a 'championship or bust' situation. A big reason for the high expectations are due to the fact that Michigan is returning over 80 percent of its production from the 2022 season - a season in which the Wolverines finished with a 13-1 record that included a win over Ohio State, a Big Ten championship and a trip to the College Football Playoff. 

The high expectations for the 2023 season also come with a sense of urgency, mostly due to the fact that the Wolverines could lose a significant amount of talent to the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Michigan recently had nine players selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, and is tied for fourth most in a single draft (modern era) with 11 players selected in 2017. If the 2023 season goes as well as most people expect it will, there's a good chance the Wolverines could send over 20 players to the next draft.

Here's a look at some of the players that are most likely to declare for the draft following the 2023 season:

Offense

1. JJ McCarthy, QB - Junior
2. Donovan Edwards, RB - Junior
3. Blake Corum, RB - Senior
4. Cornelius Johnson, WR - Graduate Student
5. Roman Wilson, WR - Senior
6. AJ Barner, TE - Senior
7. Zak Zinter, OL - Senior
8. Myles Hinton, OL - Senior
9. Trevor Keegan, OL - Graduate Student
10. Karsen Barnhart, OL - Graduate Student
11. Trente Jones, OL - Graduate Student
12. LaDarius Henderson, OL - Graduate Student
13. Drake Nugent, C - Graduate Student

Defense

1. Kris Jenkins, DL - Senior
2. Jaylen Harrell, EDGE - Senior
3. Braiden McGregor, EDGE - Senior
4. Josaiah Stewart, EDGE - Junior
5. Rod Moore, S - Junior 
6. Junior Colson, LB - Junior
7. Mike Barrett, LB - Graduate Student
8. Mike Sainristil, DB - Graduate Student
9. Makari Paige, DB - Senior

Here's a breakdown of the most NFL draft selections in a single year by colleges:

• 15 selections: Georgia (2022)
• 14 selections: Ohio State (2004), LSU (2020)
• 12 selections: Alabama (2018), Ohio State (2016)
• 11 selections: Miami (2002), Oklahoma (2005), USC (2006, 2009), Florida State (2013, 2015), Michigan (2017)