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Nine former Michigan Wolverines took center stage at the 2025 NFL Combine, but not all left with their draft stock intact. Here’s who impressed, who missed their shot, and what it all means with the NFL Draft left than two months away.
Welcome to Michigan Musings! Every Monday – at least until the start of football season – this will serve as your prime source for all things Michigan Wolverines ; a weekly digest featuring thoughts and commentary on (mostly) the top stories from the week that was. Similar to a newsletter (Brewsletter?), this will feature an assortment of stories and opinions from football to basketball to hockey to pop culture and everything in between.
Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and let’s dive in.
NFL Combine 2025: Stock Up, Stock Down
On paper, Michigan was well-represented at the 2025 NFL Combine . With nine invited players, four of whom are vying for first-round selections, the Wolverines had a chance to dominate the conversation in Indianapolis. But with the Thursday announcement that none of those four were participating in a full workout and that two more would join their teammates in workout abstinence, the national conversation carried on Michigan-less.
However, fair or unfair, choosing not to workout can impact draft stock this late in the cycle for NFL teams looking for incremental separators to rank prospects. It was not a banner weekend for most of the Wolverines, but one former video game cover athlete made the most out of his time in Indianapolis.
Whose stock rose? Whose fell? Whose remained the same? Let’s take a look at all nine Michigan representatives and how four days last weekend affected their draft stock.
DT Mason Graham – Stock (Slightly) Down
Graham has flawless tape and stood to gain very little from the workouts. If anything, he would have weakened his chances of being a top-five overall pick with a misstep in any of the scheduled drills. A “heel bruise” is what officially kept him out of participating, but that’s only because “draft preservation” was not listed. Sure, his arms were tied for the shortest among defensive tackles (32 inches), but that was expected. We discussed it last week .
However, his slimmed-up 296-pound frame raised more questions. Did he trim up because of the body composition questions? Did he drop weight to run a faster 40, but a legitimate heel bruise prevented him from flashing the burners? Or did the Michigan program fudge the 320-pound numbers? Without an answer, the questions result in a slightly diminished stock.
CB Will Johnson – Stock Down
Johnson had an opportunity to gain serious momentum at the combine. With a solid 40-yard dash alone, he could have alleviated any concerns about his top-end speed and vaulted himself back into the thick of the top-10 discussion.
Now, he has relented the majority of his position to a few combine standouts like Texas’ Jahdae Barron, who did not measure well but ran an unexpected 4.39 40-yard dash. A good Pro Day will salvage his stock amidst a weak corner class and will prevent any catastrophic drops, but it’s hard to believe Johnson was once a consensus top-five pick and is now fighting to stay in the top-15.
TE Colston Loveland – Stock Up
Loveland was unable to participate due to shoulder rehab, but the doctor’s note stating he will be able to participate in rookie mini-camp and be a full participant in fall camp is enough to protect his stock. His measurables — only being eight pounds lighter than Tyler Warren while slightly taller with longer arms and bigger hands — are enough to close the gap to make some teams consider Loveland as the top tight end in the class.
DT Kenneth Grant – Stock Down
A hamstring strain ruined what should have been a showcase weekend for Grant. He has widely been evaluated as a freak athlete with one of the highest ceilings of any player in this draft. Although his film is not on par with the top three defensive tackle prospects, a strong combine performance was expected to vault him into the discussion for DT-2 in April.
However, without the opportunity to display his athletic traits — besides the weakest bench press among defensive tackles — coupled with a loaded defensive line class, Grant could now slip to the second round. His Pro Day performance alone could now determine whether he hears his name called on Thursday or Friday night of the NFL Draft .
Edge Josaiah Stewart – Stock Down
Measuring in as the shortest defensive end at the combine (6-foot-1) — albeit dense at 249 pounds — Stewart was unable to show why draft season was doubling short king season. He did not participate in any drills for reasons unknown, and his inaction has allowed others to usurp him. Texas A&M ’s Shemar Stewart and Arkansas’ Landon Jackson put on freakish displays and have distanced themselves from the Stewart conversation.
The former Wolverine now finds himself in debates with a plethora of players such as UCLA’s Oluwafemi Oladejo, Oregon’s Jordan Burch, and maybe even Oklahoma’s Ethan Downs and Oklahoma State’s Collin Oliver. A few weeks ago, some analysts were speculating Stewart could sneak into one of the last picks of the first round. Now, the question is can he sneak into the Round 2?
RB Donovan Edwards – Stock Up
Edwards had an outstanding weekend. At 6-foot and 205, Edwards ran a 4.44 40-yard dash (tied for ninth and above average in the fastest running back class ever at the NFL Combine) while being tied for the second fastest 10-yard split (1.51). Further showing his explosiveness and power, Edwards jumped 38.5 inches in the vertical — good enough to tie for fourth amongst all running backs — excelled in the on-the-field drills, and put up the most reps on the bench press of any running back.
Although still likely a Day 3 pick, no Wolverine seized the opportunity in Indianapolis like Edwards, and it could vault him up a full round.
RB Kalel Mullings – Stock Down
Mullings measured in at 6-foot-1.5 and 226 pounds, and that was it. No specific reason was provided, and no one talked about it, but his decision, if not injury-influenced, is a complete head-scratcher. In a loaded running back class, this was a chance for Mullings to move up boards. Put those quick feet to work and show that when combined with his powerful frame, he projects to be an even better pro than collegiate. While on the sidelines, a plethora of other running backs seized the moment to flash their potential and steal headlines in a record-setting day for the position. I don’t know what’s worse — the fact a middling draft pick lost positioning by opting out, or that no one seemed to notice.
OT Myles Hinton – Stock Up
Hinton measured in at 6-foot-7, 323 pounds, with arms just over 34 inches. The arm length is a notable standout here in a class with a staggering number of short-armed tackles (unanimous top tackle prospect, LSU ’s Will Campbell, measured in under 33 inches). Hinton’s only testing number was 31.5 inches in the vertical jump (sixth among participants), but he did have a solid workout during the on-the-field drills. Hinton did not set the world on fire, but he showed enough athletic potential for a team to take a late-round flyer.
LS William Wagner – Stock Neutral (By Default)
It was announced that Wagner was invited to the NFL Combine, and then nothing else followed. It was like the end of The Usual Suspects, “And like that… He’s gone.” Did he do well? Did he do poorly? No one knows. In the age of the internet, this is shockingly rare. While stuck in the exile of ignorance, let’s pretend he had the best day known to a long snapper use this as an opportunity to revisit Wagner’s crowning moment and one of the best pictures in program history.
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