From 2019 until 2025, the Michigan Wolverines produced at least one first-round pick in the NFL Draft. But that streak has come to an end, with the first Wolverine coming off the board in the second round this spring.
Under a completely new coaching staff, the Wolverines have loaded up on promising talent. Kyle Whittingham and his staff have a proven track record developing first-round talent — as recently as sending both starting offensive tackles in the first round of the 2026 draft — so there should
be no shortage of high-end prospects in the pipeline.
Here are three Michigan football stars with a chance to go in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft.
Edge rusher John Henry Daley
The most obvious name heading into 2026 is former Utah edge rusher John Henry Daley, who arrives with multiple accolades and a hunger to get even better.
Daley was an All-American this past season, recording 48 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in 11 games. However, an end-of-season Achilles injury complicated his draft stock. With one season of eligibility remaining, he chose to make it count at Michigan and prove he can still be a game-wrecker in the nation’s toughest conference.
His 6-foot-4 frame and explosiveness off the edge already have NFL scouts excited. At Michigan, he’s reunited with former defensive coordinator Jay Hill, who coached him at BYU, and he’ll play on a deep defensive line. Daley is expected to be a full-go come June 1, so if he returns to 2025 form quickly, he’ll build the kind of tape that gets you drafted in the first round.
RB Jordan Marshall
When Jordan Marshall is healthy, he is a difference maker. The former Mr. Ohio Football had a rocky start to his career due to injury, but ever since the ReliaQuest Bowl against Alabama as a true freshman in 2024, he has torn through the competition.
Marshall rushed for 932 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He ran for 100-plus yards and a score in every game he finished healthy, including a four-game stretch against Washington, Michigan State, Purdue and Northwestern where he racked up 570 yards and seven touchdowns. However, another injury vs Northwestern held him out for the rest of the season, except for a few snaps against Ohio State.
Marshall has the tools to be an every-down back — elite change of direction, breakaway speed and vision between the tackles. The key questions are durability and injury history. If he puts together a strong season in 2026, he could cash in on his NFL dreams early.
CB Jyaire Hill
Jyaire Hill will be a fascinating story in 2026. He has outlasted all competition in Ann Arbor and enters the season as the top corner. At 6-foot-2, he has the tools and movement skills to excel in any scheme, with growing technical ability, aggressiveness and the “next play” mentality all corners need. He blows up screens with quick trigger and recognition, navigating through blocks with aggression.
Perhaps his biggest weakness, however, is staying consistent. Too often we would see him almost make an interception — those “almost” plays are what is holding him back at this point in his career. He only had one interception all of last year (vs Ohio State), but if he turns some “almost” interceptions into actual interceptions, he could be taken very early in the draft.
