Mike Morris had to wait his turn to be an impactful edge rusher for the Michigan Wolverines. With players in the fold such as Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, Morris’ time to shine came after that duo departed for the NFL last year.
2022 was a huge year for Morris — his most productive year (fourth year) led to national recognition and his draft stock rising mightily.
Morris was the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2022 after racking up 7.5 sacks, 23 tackles, and one forced fumble.
NFL Combine Results
Height: 6-5
Weight: 275
40-Yard Dash: 4.95
10-Yard Split: 1.72
Vertical Jump: 28.5’’
Broad Jump: 9’ 2’’
Bench Press: 22
Pros
- 95% percentile wingspan.
- Scouts salivate at his 6-foot-5 size.
- Versatile. Can plug in and play in various schemes, be it 3-4 or 4-3.
- Utilizes his length to his advantage and takes excellent angles in hand fighting to create leverage.
- Power is there.
- Part of a Michigan program that has developed solid NFL pass rushers during the Jim Harbaugh era.
Cons
- Only one year of steady production.
- Was banged up by the end of last season in his one year of being a full-time starter.
- Didn’t always finish games strong.
- Should win battles in the trenches more consistently.
- Had a rough combine in the drills portion where he slipped multiple times, and his 40-yard dash time was worse than expected. Morris even posted on Twitter “didn’t turn out the way I wanted”. Morris ran the second-slowest 40 at his position (4.95) and ranked at the bottom of nearly every other category as well.
Do you homework
Check out this video breakdown of Morris by Dan Plocher.
Plocher’s Point of View
Mike Morris’ tape is excellent. He finished tied for second in the Big Ten with 7.5 sacks in 2022, earning him first-team All-Big Ten honors. The fourth-year EDGE was expected to crush the NFL Combine, but things didn’t go to plan. It’ll come down to tape and production vs. the combine and pro-day performances and I suspect he’ll be drafted on Day 3.
Conclusion
Morris’ combine and pro day 40-yard dash times didn’t do his draft stock any favors, and he may fall a round or two because of a couple less than stellar testing days. The bright side is Morris put out plenty of good film during his lone season as a starter on Michigan’s defense.
If Morris tested better at the combine, he could have slipped into the second round, but now he looks more like a fourth or fifth-round selection. While it was a solid year for Morris in 2022, he has just 37 tackles in his career and didn’t have a ton of collegiate experience. For someone who was at Michigan for four years, Morris is fairly raw. Morris won’t be expected to be a starter right away in the pros, which may be a good thing. He needs more time to develop and if he’s able to be on a team that believes in him, he may become a reliable situational pass-rusher in the NFL at the very least.
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