Opinion Roundtable: Who Will Be The Most Successful Wolverine From The 2020 NFL Draft?
Behind only LSU and Ohio State, Michigan had the best draft of any school in the country. Ten former Wolverines were picked by different NFL organizations in rounds one, two, four, five, six and seven.
Players can succeed in the league regardless of where they're picked, so which former Wolverine is going to enjoy the best career in the NFL? We discuss...
Brandon Brown
When it comes to who will have the best NFL career, the most obvious choice is probably the only first-round pick, Cesar Ruiz. However, something about fourth-round pick Ben Bredeson just screams 15-year veteran to me. He plays guard, which is arguably the least flashy position on the entire field, which allows guys to just do their thing without much evolving. In the most complimentary way possible, that’s Bredeson. He’s not a phenomenal athlete, he’s got short arms and he’s probably never going to be MVP, but he just goes about his business and performs at a high level week in and week out.
Bredeson was a two-time team captain at Michigan and was routinely trotted out for the media because of the way he conducts himself and how mature he is. He’s just 22 years old, but he already seems like an NFL veteran when it comes to his approach, intelligence and overall personality. He’s serious on and off the field and, to me, feels like a guy who has staying power in the NFL. It also doesn’t hurt that he went to a well-run organization like the Baltimore Ravens.
Steve Deace
I think Josh Uche will have the best career in the NFL, because he excels at a skill vital in today's pro football — the ability to rush the passer. This is an era when 10-15 quarterbacks per season throw 25-30 touchdown passes. These quarterbacks are too good, and the rules too favorable to the receivers you're trying to cover, to get away with heavily blitzing these offenses and not paying for it. You must be able to get pressure with just your defensive front, and in terms of sacks and pressure percentage, Uche was one of the best in the draft. Plus, he's going to a team and a head coach that knows how to use his unique/versatile skill-set.
Eric Rutter
Out of all 10 Michigan players drafted, the first player that comes to mind when envisioning long term success is Cesar Ruiz. Going in the first round to the New Orleans Saints, Ruiz is a coach’s dream at center for a multitude of reasons. First, Ruiz has long been lauded as a cerebral player on the field that is capable of making all the checks necessary at the line of scrimmage. Though he will be tasked with learning a complex playbook at the professional level, Ruiz is, by all accounts, exactly the type of player that can handle that workload.
According to Pro Football Focus, Ruiz graded out as the top pass blocking center in the nation in 2019. Ruiz improved his technique each season he was in Ann Arbor, and I expect that dedication to carry over into his time with the Saints. Ruiz has all the makings to develop into a multi-year Pro Bowler for New Orleans.
Michael Spath
This might be the easy way out, but I'm going with the only first-rounder, Cesar Ruiz. Versatile, Ruiz can play guard or center in the NFL, which gives him three options to make a greater impact and extend his career. He's a better athlete than former Wolverine Graham Glasgow, and we've seen what Glasgow has done so far, signing a big contract this offseason with the Denver Broncos. I don't think Ruiz is walking into an ideal situation in New Orleans - the Saints have a second-year starting center they were very happy with in 2019 - but the franchise won't also want to leave Ruiz on the bench for long. I think it would be a waste to play him at guard because of how unique his skill set is at the center position, and as soon as his team recognizes that, the quicker Ruiz will get to building a strong career.
