Michigan’s football program has never had two players selected inside the top five of the same NFL draft.
It is still early in the 2025 NFL draft process with the NFL Scouting Combine, pro days and many interviews with teams still to come, but one ESPN draft analyst could see two Wolverines off the board in the first five picks during the April 24 first round.
In his mock draft, released Monday, Matt Miller projected defensive tackle Mason Graham to the New England Patriots at No. 4 overall, followed by cornerback Will Johnson heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 5.
Graham being projected inside the top five is a new development. CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson has the Cleveland Browns drafting the 2024 unanimous All-American at No. 2 in his mock, released Monday.
Miller opined that New England first-year head coach Mike Vrabel could use his first pick on a defensive cornerstone player like Graham, who excels defending the run and also had 6 ½ sacks over the past two seasons.
“Graham is a fiery, active interior pass rusher with great technique and the burst needed to be a difference-maker at the 3-technique,” Miller wrote. “Graham, third-year defensive end Keion White and standout interior lineman Christian Barmore (currently out because of blood clots) would be a nice starting point for Vrabel and his new defense.”
In many earlier mock drafts, Johnson was widely viewed as a top-five pick, but it appears there are more diverging opinions in recent weeks. Miller still sees Johnson, who had nine interceptions in three seasons but missed the last six games in 2024 because of a foot injury, as a good fit for Jacksonville at No. 5.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein also pegged Johnson to the Jaguars in his Monday mock.
“While new coach Liam Coen has an offensive background and might want to beef up the O-line or add another pass catcher, Jacksonville has to find some defensive playmakers,” Miller wrote. “It forced an NFL-worst nine turnovers in 2024, making Johnson — who had two pick-sixes this past season — the right selection here. He could line up opposite Tyson Campbell.
“Scouts are all over the board with Johnson, though. Some think he’s a lock as a top-five pick. Other are worried about his missed tackles, his questionable speed and the foot injury that limited him to six games this past season. He needs to run well at the combine, but I think he will — and then solidify his stock in the top 10.”
Miller has the other two Wolverines going in the first round. He is high on tight end Colston Loveland, the team’s leading receiver in 2024 by a large margin. He and Zierlein both project Loveland to the Denver Broncos at No. 20.
“Loveland is one of my favorite players in the entire class,” Miller wrote. “He’d give coach Sean Payton and quarterback Bo Nix another target in the passing game to complement receiver Courtland Sutton. Loveland, who battled through injuries in 2024, can line up all over the formation but is at his best as a flex tight end. He ran the full route tree at Michigan and has the grace of a wide receiver at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds.”
Defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, who took part in the Shrine Bowl last week, is mocked to the Kansas City Chiefs with the final pick of the first round at No. 32.
Miller likes the idea of pairing Grant with star tackle Chris Jones to create an imposing middle of the defense.
“Grant is a massive prospect at 342 pounds but has the athletic tools to crash gaps and penetrate the backfield,” Miller wrote. “Plugging Grant between Jones and George Karlaftis would automatically divert attention and give them more room to operate. Grant’s impact would also be felt immediately in the run game, where he can keep the Chiefs’ linebackers much cleaner from interior blockers.”
