The 2026 NFL Draft is nearing it’s end. While Michigan didn’t have many high-end prospects this year, there are still a large amount of Wolverines who expect to hear their names called on Day 3 of the draft. While casual NFL fans tend to ignore the last day of the draft, there are still gems to be found.
Here are Michigan’s most recent Day 3 draft picks who were able to carve out nice roles for themselves at the professional level.
TE A.J. Barner, Seattle Seahawks
It seems only right to start with the man who caught a touchdown pass
in Super Bowl LX. Despite only playing one year at Michigan, Barner now has a CFP National Championship and a Super Bowl to his name in the past three seasons of football.
Pretty good.
Barner was drafted by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. In his rookie season he appeared in 17 games, hauled in 30 passes for 245 yards, and scored four touchdowns. In his second year, A.J. caught 52 passes for 519 yards and six touchdowns. However, the aforementioned Super Bowl touchdown will make him a household name in Seattle for years to come.
DE Mike Morris, Seattle Seahawks
Barner’s teammate, Mike Morris, has been with the Seahawks since he was drafted in 2023. Morris was taken in the fifth round with the 151st overall pick. While not a starter, Mike has managed to be a rotational piece on the Seattle defensive line for the past three seasons. This past season was the best of Morris’s career as he notched 18 tackles and one pass deflection. Notably, he made three tackles against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round.
OG Mike Onwenu, New England Patriots
A Detroit native, Onwenu played four seasons in Ann Arbor for Jim Harbaugh. He was named Third-Team All-Big Ten in 2018 and 2019 before declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft. Onwenu was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round and was arguably the steal of the draft.
In his first year in the NFL, Onwenu was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team after starting all 16 games for New England. He has been a starting offensive lineman for the Patriots ever since, despite being shifted around to virtually every position except center. In March of 2024, Mike signed a three-year, $57 million extension. It’s not often you see that kind of money given to sixth-round offensive linemen.
OG Ben Bredeson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bredeson did not stick with the original team that drafted him, like his counterparts on this list. However, the fourth-round pick has had a bit of a career renaissance since moving on from the Baltimore Ravens. A star at Michigan, Bredeson was named a First-Team All-Big Ten and Second-Team All-American in 2019. Like Onwenu, he was drafted on Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft when the Ravens selected Ben in the fourth round.
Bredeson struggled with injuries and playing time in Baltimore before eventually being traded to the New York Giants in 2021. He went on to start for three consecutive seasons with the Giants despite battling injuries throughout. At the conclusion of his rookie contract, Bredeson entered free agency and signed with Tampa Bay in March of 2024. After one year as a starter, he signed a three-year, $22 million extension in March of 2025.
Bredeson isn’t a star at the NFL level, but he has been a solid starter for many years now, which is all teams can ask for out of a fourth-round pick.
