Grad-Transfer Mike Danna Goes To The Chiefs In Round 5

From Central Michigan to Michigan as a grad-transfer and now to the Kansas City Chiefs, Mike Danna was taken in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.

The second grad-transfer into the Michigan program of the Jim Harbaugh era to get drafted - Jake Rudock went in Round 6 of the 2016 Draft - Mike Danna heard his name called Saturday afternoon by the Kansas City Chiefs, landing in a potentially ideal home for the defending Super Bowl champions. 

Danna played one season for U-M after transferring in from Central Michigan. In three seasons for CMU he had 15.0 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss. The 6-2, 261-pound defensive end appeared in all 13 games in 2019 for the Wolverines, with one start, and recorded 38 tackles, including three sacks. 

Danna is the first Wolverine since WR Jehu Chesson (2017) to go to the Chiefs' organization and he will join a pair of former U-M players on the roster - backup QB Chad Henne and starting defensive end Frank Clark. 

Analysis: Danna wasn't expected to get drafted according to many mocks, getting a "priority free agent" grade from NFL.com. 

"Graduate transfer who did a solid job contributing to the defense on his move up to a Power Five conference as a graduate transfer," NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote before the Draft. "Danna has decent play strength, but lacks the explosiveness to open the door as a run defender and as a pass rusher. His motor is always operating at a desirable level, but his gradual movements are unlikely to allow him an opportunity to make enough plays to stick with a team on the NFL level."

But as they say, you only need one team to fall in love with a player, and that was Kansas City. 

Frankly, I really liked what I saw of Danna in 2019. He showed natural pass-rush instincts and consistently caused disruption, quite often as a defensive end in a specialized hybrid package in which strongside end Aidan Hutchinson moved inside to tackle as a thee-man look. 

Danna probably doesn't have the frame to become an every-down lineman in the NFL but don't be surprised if he emerges in much the same role he did for Michigan - as a pass-rush specialist.