Hogs Haven takes a look at 2024 NFL Draft prospects that could contribute to the Commanders
Junior Colson, LB
School: Michigan | Conference: Big Ten
College Experience: Junior | Age: 21
Height / Weight: 6’2” / 238 lbs
Projected Draft Status: Rounds 2-3
Player Comparison: Nick Bolton
College Statistics
Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
*2021 | Michigan | Big Ten | FR | LB | 14 | 28 | 32 | 60 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |||
*2022 | Michigan | Big Ten | SO | 14 | 42 | 59 | 101 | 6.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
*2023 | Michigan | Big Ten | SR | LB | 15 | 44 | 51 | 95 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Career | Michigan | 114 | 142 | 256 | 8.5 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Overview
Junior Colson has come a long way to be a 2024 NFL Draft Prospect. He was born in Haiti. Shortly after his father passed away, Colson would find himself in an orphanage run by his uncle for about two years. At nine-years old, he was adopted by a family volunteering in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Colson learned English and football simultaneously. After standing out in high school, he chose to attend his adopted-family’s favorite school: Michigan.
Colson did not waste time impressing his coaches as a true freshman in 2021. He started half of the teams’ game at linebacker that season and was fourth on the team in tackles. It would be the last season he would not lead the team in tackles. In 2022, he hit triple-digits for tackles and was named to the All-Big Ten team. Colson would play every game of the Wolverines’ championship season, despite having both hands broken down the stretch. He ended the season with nearly 100 tackles and All-Big Ten honors for a second year in a row.
Strengths
- Excellent size to man the middle of the defense
- Solid scraping along the line to make plays on the edges
- Unlike many college LBs, willingly takes on blockers
- Prolific tackler, rarely lets targets out of his grasp
- Moves well in space with ability to play man or zone coverage
Weaknesses
- Processing of action at line of scrimmage needs to speed up
- Occasional false steps make him a tick late to fill gaps
- Lack of ball production in coverage is slightly concerning
- Needs more aggression and better technique fighting off blocks
- A little hip tightness when changing direction quickly
Let’s See His Work
Lots of excellent play at all three levels but #Michigan LB Junior Colson (#25) really caught my eye with his performance against Alabama. A team high 10 tackles yesterday, made plays at the LOS, perimeter and as a blitzer.
Becoming a reliable backer for this stout defense. pic.twitter.com/i9UoEr2rEa
— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) January 2, 2024
Watch Michigan LB Junior Colson (#25) communicating throughout the pre-snap process, then being ready to trigger on the backfield motion by Washington. pic.twitter.com/6535iysi6V
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) January 9, 2024
Junior Colson is a LB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He does not qualify for a #RAS due to a lack of measurements. https://t.co/uZGtQ0NyTU pic.twitter.com/vI0DVTiwbU
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 22, 2024
How He Fits on the Commanders
It seems like at the end of each Commanders’ season, linebacker is a position group that needs improvement. Even with Jamin Davis getting better each season, the team needed to bolster the group by adding Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner to have a respectable unit heading into 2024. It looks like the group is only set for next season with Wagner on a one-year deal in the twilight of his career and Davis unlikely to have his fifth-year option picked up by the team.
Junior Colson would be an enticing addition to the linebacker group. He used his physical gifts to be a productive linebacker for the Wolverines. In some aspects of his play, like his physicality and ability to take on blockers, he’s more advanced. If Colson gets better at processing the game and understanding his role in the action, he could play faster and make even more of an impact. Sitting behind Wagner for a year could be a boon for his development. That could make him ready to start at MIKE linebacker for the Commanders in 2025.
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