The Cowboys shouldn’t be afraid to draft Michigan players

The Cowboys shouldn’t avoid this class of Michigan players despite recent history.

Albert Einstein defined insanity as ‘doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ The Dallas Cowboys have repeatedly pulled from a pool of Michigan players, from Taco Charlton to Mazi Smith. Even though the results haven’t varied, that doesn’t mean the Cowboys have reached levels of insanity—yet.

After Jim Harbaugh took over as head coach for the Wolverines in 2015, he turned the football team into an FBS juggernaut, most recently winning the National Championship. Harbaugh coached players including Jourdan Lewis, Jabrill Peppers, Rashan Gary, Michael Onwenu, Josh Uche, Cesar Ruiz, Nico Collins, and Aidan Hutchinson, who have gone on to have successful NFL careers.

Last year, the Cowboys drafted Smith in the first round with high hopes, but his performance didn’t meet expectations. However, this doesn’t mean that his career has already been decided. In a conversation with BIG10 analyst and former NFL/Michigan tight end Jake Butt, he advised fans to give Smith time to improve and develop beyond his rookie season before making a judgment.

I thought he was gonna splash onto the scene because of his intangibles and how strong and explosive he was. I understand it was a bit disappointing, but look, he’s still a rookie it still takes time. So let’s withhold judgement here. Let’s see if there’s progress this year, and then if there’s progress here, let’s see where they’re at at the end of year three. I think that’s fair for anybody.

Looking ahead to this crop of Michigan players who will be drafted this weekend, there’s a reason why a record number of 15 players were invited to the NFL Combine. They are good—some are really good. Butt agrees that Dallas shouldn’t let their ghosts of draft’s past roadblock them from taking championship talent.

Again, it goes back to this is an educated guess at best. You should never say never, and never say always. If you say, ‘We should avoid all Michigan guys!’, well you’re gonna miss on some really talented players as well. You go through your draft process, you make your evaluations, and you pick with the best of your knowledege—you’ll still miss. You will still miss at times, and sometimes you’re gonna hit. I know this Michigan team and these players there’s gonna be a lot of guys that have really successful NFL careers and they’re going to make some teams happy.

Here are a few names the Cowboys could target and really help solidify their roster heading into the 2024 season.

Blake Corum, RB

If Blake Corum hadn’t gotten hurt before the end of the 2022 season and had decided to declare for the NFL draft, he could have been a borderline first-round pick. However, he bet on himself and decided to return for his senior season, get healthier, and give Michigan one last chance at winning a championship. He did everything he set out to accomplish and then some.

Corum’s rushing yards decreased slightly from the previous season, but he scored 27 times on the ground in 2023, tied for 14th all-time in NCAA history. Butt credited Corum’s work ethic and mindset that allowed him to fight back and overcome the adversity in front of him.

What I like about Blake Corum is that dude, when you talk about the heart and soul of Michigan’s team this year it’s Blake Corum. He had a significant injury in 2022 and he was looking to, you know, he would have went pro. He checked every box, he does everything, all the hard work, and he spent the whole off season rehabbing and he didn’t start running until June and sprinting until July and I think that gets lost on some people who say, ‘does he have the top end speed?’ I thought he ran a great 40-time, being a low 4-5 guy. I also like, how often does top end speed come into play for a running back? Right? Like rarely, is it even once a game where you can break an 80 yard touchdown. It’s once every four or five games, you know. That comes into factor. But even more so before you can show off your top end speed, there’s a lot of things that go into a great running back. It’s your vision, it’s your feel, it’s your understanding of blocking assignments and defenses and then it’s your ability to cut and change direction and set up blocks. That’s Blake Corum.

Corum is undersized by running back standards, at just over 5’7” and 205 pounds. That could be a problem for some backs regarding pass protection, facing off on defensive ends, or blitzing linebackers. Butt reassures that shouldn’t be a problem for Corum as he’s proven time and time again he’s willing to take on any rusher in front of him.

Another underrated part of his game is he was one of the highest rated pass-pro backs in college football. People might say about his size, but like the thing is, as a running back, I’m stepping up in the, a gap there, like length doesn’t actually apply, it’s leverage. If I can get low below you and stick you, that’s enough time for Dak to get the ball out. And another guy like Blake Corum, no one will be in the building earlier than him. No one will stay late. No one will be on the practice field before him. No, no one will stay later than him. He’s gonna do everything that’s asked. He’ll do special teams. He’ll probably be like a personal protector on special teams. He did some kick returning for Michigan. You know, all that stuff could just be more value adds for him. So I’d go to bat for him, man. Go back and like listen to Jim Harbaugh, talk about him. You’ll know what type of character he is.

Corum would also enter a locker room and become an instant leader for the team and his community. The Michigan back was awarded the BIG10 Medal of Honor, given “to one male and one female student from the graduating class of each member institution who has demonstrated excellence on and off the field throughout their college career.” These are the off-the-field traits Will McClay, the Jones family, and head coach Mike McCarthy covet.

Junior Colson, LB

Even though the Cowboys signed free agent Eric Kendricks and are confident in leaps from Damone Clark and DeMarvion Overshown, they could use another young, talented linebacker for their room. Junior Colson would be a great addition and could be a starter from day one.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Colson as his No. 1 linebacker in The Beast and says, “Overall, Colson checks a lot of boxes for the next level with his physicality downhill, athleticism in space and iron-man toughness that he brings to work every day.” Butt got to know Colson on a personal level from all of his time covering the team with the BIG10 and echoes Brugler’s comments.

I know NFL staffs like they love guys that like need ball because it’s just part of them. Like Junior, where he comes from this is all a bonus for him, man. Like his backstory, he’s talked about it a thousand different times and when you talk to him, you just feel such a genuine appreciation for life, right? He doesn’t take anything for granted. He was injured like he was wearing two boots, two casts, a neck, I mean, that dude was beat the hell up last year and yet showing up—doing his job. You would never know that unless you follow the team closely because that dude just shows up and he does his job.

Colson was born in Haiti and didn’t start playing football until he was in middle school. Colson’s journey from humble beginnings in Haiti to becoming the No. 2 linebacker recruit in Tennessee speaks volumes about his abilities and character. This feat alone is a testament to his leadership potential and should inspire confidence in his ability to lead any defense, especially the Cowboys.

Mike Sanristill and Kris Jenkins, CB/DT

Two of the most athletic prospects in the draft, Kris Jenkins and Mike Sanristill, come from Michigan. Jenkins is the son of former All-Pro Carolina Panther Kris Jenkins Sr. and plays with the same tenacity as his father.

Sanristill became the top nickel corner in the country after being recruited to Michigan as a wide receiver. Even though his size is different, his play style is similar to Jourdan Lewis, who stood out as a Wolverine in his own right. When looking at the successful teams across the NFL, Butt brought up the Detroit Lions going after tough, high-character players who could become impact players.

I’ll give this example, you know, the Detroit Lions, how do they turn around their organization? Dan Campbell didn’t draft just for talent. He drafted a certain type of guy. Look back at those drafts and say how many college captains did Dan Campbell take? Because he needed guys that really cared about ball and we’re gonna do the right things. Then all of a sudden you have a culture of winning—that’s Kris Jenkins, that’s Mikey Sainristil, and then you have that on top of like just the sheer talent.

Outside of Osa Odighizuwa, the Cowboys don’t have proven depth in their defensive interior. They hope Smith can take an even more significant step forward, but that would just bring the number to two. Drafting someone like Jenkins could give Dallas another athletic defensive tackle who could help Smith’s development since they played together just one year earlier.

Kris was one of the freakier performances at the combine. For him to be that big and that fast and move that well and he’s just an awesome dude. Long arms. You talk about pedigree, you’re exactly right. A guy that’s ascended significantly too. He was kind of behind Mazi and then bang, there’s your guy, there’s the next dude. He has a chance to play a decade in the NFL.

Cornerback isn’t as pressing of a need for Dallas as defensive tackle. Both All-Pro corners, Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, are locked into their deals through at least the 2025 season. Although the Dallas Cowboys have signed Lewis on a one-year deal, and Nashon Wright is entering the final year of his rookie contract, the team’s secondary could benefit from adding a few more players.

Developing these players under the guidance of Al Harris and Mike Zimmer, both highly regarded defensive back gurus, could help catapult the development of a rookie like Sainristill if he’s available in the second round at pick No. 56. Butt credits his willingness to learn and adapt to any situation thrown his way, especially when Michigan converted him from wide receiver to corner just like Diggs at Alabama.

‘Hey, Mikey, you know, we don’t have a secondary. Will you play? You wanna try it? Sure, man, I’ll try it. I haven’t played it since high school’, and he literally is one of the best nickels in college football from day one. I also think go to the biggest moments. If I was an NFL team and I was gonna draft someone in the first, second, third round, I’d go to the Ohio State game and I’d go to the fourth quarter and I’d say, what did this guy look like? Mikey made the biggest plays constantly in the biggest games. So regardless, the biggest knock is his size—I just think that’s lazy. I’ll factor it and consider it. But he played bigger and stronger than a lot of guys that are like measurably bigger and stronger than him. I put more value on the tape. He’s just a flat out ball player. So I feel confident both those guys are going to make their presence felt next year.

Other Michigan players to watch for:

Georgia holds the record for the most players selected in a single draft. Michigan has a decent chance to tie or break that record this year. Butt highlighted a few more players that could help the Cowboys from this class.

• Zak Zinter – offensive lineman
• AJ Barner – tight end (similar skill set to Sean McKeon and Luke Schoonmaker)
• Roman Wilson – wide receiver
• Cornelius Johnson – wide receiver (His floor could be as a gunner on special teams in the NFL for ten to twelve years, with the upside as a big x-receiver.)

The Michigan team is highly talented, and because of Dallas’ history with the university, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they picked at least one player from this group. The 2023 Wolverines have the potential to go down as one of the great college teams in NCAA history, with multiple players who have long careers in the NFL.

If the Cowboys avoid drafting these talented players, who now possess a championship mindset as part of their football DNA, fans are more likely to wonder’ What-if?’ instead of ‘How come?’ like they’ve become accustomed to in the past.

I think in time, you know how good your college team is once you see the guys play in the NFL like that 2004 Ohio State team. Ezekiel Elliott, highest paid running back, Michael Thomas, highest paid receiver, you had Joey Bosa. That’s going to be what we see with this Michigan team is these guys are gonna go on to have some really awesome NFL careers.