6’1” – 243 lbs. – 4.76
Redshirted, then appeared sparingly on special teams the following season before not appearing in a game as a redshirt sophomore. Finished his career by making twenty-six starts at linebacker over the following two seasons, being named a team captain. Has good bloodlines; father, Mike Sr., was a captain at Ohio St. Thickly-built outside linebacker who was listed at 6’4” but measured in at the Senior Bowl at just over 6’1”, so height is just adequate; arms measured 33” in Mobile. Doesn’t show a specific tendency toward either outside linebacker position; probably takes more snaps on the weakside, but may project to other positions for some pro teams. Plays with a physical on-field demeanor, and has been praised for his leadership skills. Likes to play downhill against the run, extending his arms and using his hands to keep blockers out of his pads and shed them. Has enough short-area quickness to avoid getting engaged, but can sometimes be washed down the line by opposing linemen. Does a pretty good job of flowing toward the ball, but may not be a true sideline-to-sideline player because his athleticism is just average overall. At his best when he’s using his quickness to knife through the offensive line and make tackles in the backfield; racked up plenty of tackles for loss over the past two seasons. In terms of tackling, is a thumper with long arms who can lapse into hitting at times but helped to set the tone defensively and demonstrates the ability to drag down ballcarriers with his arms. Was an every-down player for the Wolverines, remaining on the field in sub packages and dropping into coverage extensively. As mentioned previously, is not a great athlete, but looks comfortable making his drops from a technical/footwork standpoint, and was trusted to work in deeper zones at the college level; may be more of a robber at the pro level. Didn’t do much man coverage in the games reviewed and may not really have the athleticism to match up against opposing running backs or the size to cover most tight ends at the next level. May have more pro upside as a blitzer, a role he handled in college as well. Also contributed on special teams throughout his career. A pretty good college player whose average size and athleticism may limit him to more of a reserve/special-teams role at the next level.
DRAFTEXAMINER 