2023 NFL Draft recap: Michigan leads Big Ten in players drafted

The 2023 NFL Draft is now over and the Michigan Wolverines had nine players picked. That’s good for best in the Big Ten and second in the country behind only Alabama and Georgia. which tied for 10 each.

In the Big Ten, the next closest schools to Michigan were Ohio State and Penn State, who both had six players drafted.

In case you missed any/all of the draft, here are all the Wolverines who were drafted and where they will be playing next.

Mazi Smith, Dallas Cowboys, RD 1, Pick 26

For the fifth year in a row, the Wolverines had someone taken in the first round.

Smith’s freaky athleticism and size make him a beast on the defensive-line, and Cowboys fans will be thrilled to see what he can do. Just ask Maize n Brew member and Dallas fan Luke Ghiardi.

Luke Schoonmaker, Dallas Cowboys, RD 2, Pick 58

Dallas again! Michigan’s star tight end from the 2022 season is joining Smith in Dallas and gives the Cowboys a new offensive weapon. Many didn’t see Schoonmaker going this early, but Michigan fans know he is going to make Cowboys fans happy.

DJ Turner, Cincinnati Bengals, RD 2, Pick 60

Daxton Hill was picked by the Bengals in last year’s draft, and Cincinnati wanted another Wolverine in its secondary and drafted Turner this year. Getting to see two Wolverines who played together unite is special, and we will get to see that in the fall.

Jake Moody, San Francisco 49ers, RD 3, Pick 99

It’s not very often you see a kicker taken in the first 100 picks, but that just goes to show how good of a kicker Moody is. In fact, he is just the 27th kicker to be drafted to the NFL in the top-three rounds. 49ers, you got a great one.

Mike Morris, Seattle Seahawks, RD 5, Pick 151

Mike Morris, the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, is headed west to play for Seattle. Morris wreaked havoc on the line last season for Michigan, and Seattle may have gotten a steal here in the fifth round.

Olusegun Oluwatimi, Seattle Seahawks, RD 5, Pick 154

It only took three picks for the Seahawks’ front office to realize they wanted to get another Michigan Wolverine, this time getting Oluwatimi. He won the Rimington Award last year for the best center in college football, and running backs like Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet should be happy that Seattle picked a great run-blocking center.

Brad Robbins, Cincinnati Bengals, RD 6, Pick 217

Another Bengal! Four teams took multiple Wolverines in the draft and the Bengals were one of them. Robbins joins Turner in Cincy after an incredible career with Michigan. He will immediately compete for the starting punter job in training camp.

Ryan Hayes, Miami Dolphins, RD 7, Pick 238

Hayes got drafted in the final round to Miami. He is another underrated pick going very late in the draft, but last season he didn’t allow a single sack in more than 200 snaps. A very good addition to the Dolphins’ offensive line room.

Ronnie Bell, San Francisco 49ers, RD 7. Pick 253

Last, but certainly not least is Bell, who had an emotional, up and down college career. He came in as not even a top-1,000 recruit in his class and emerged as a top receiver for the Wolverines. He then suffered a heartbreaking ACL tear in 2021, but came back and helped lead Michigan to a second straight Big Ten title in 2022. Now, he is a San Francisco 49er.

The Wolverines now have 53 draft picks under head coach Jim Harbaugh, including eight first-rounders. Player Development U.