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The Kansas City Chiefs selected Michigan DE Mike Danna in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Danna joined Michigan by way of graduate transfer from Central Michigan. From the sound of it, Danna is someone that Chiefs area scout Pat Sperduto had his eyes on long before he transferred into the Big 10 conference.
“I wrote him last year when he was at Central Michigan because I thought he was a junior that was going to come out,” Sperduto said. “They had a really disappointing season in 2018, but he had 9.5 sacks in ’18 when he was at Central. I have a couple really good friends there and they thought he was going to leave so I had written to him. He would’ve been a draft pick last year as well.”
But Danna didn’t leave Central Michigan for the draft, instead, he chose to join the Wolverines. The decision wasn’t a smashing success for Danna. He appeared in all 13 games but only drew one start. His production wasn’t nearly what it was the previous season with the Chippewas. With only 38 tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks.
Sperduto explained that his time at Michigan was able to show one thing: His versatility.
“His role at Michigan was a little bit different so when he gets to Michigan, and they do this with a lot of their players, they have multiple roles, they play multiple spots and his role there was unique for him,” Sperduto continued. “It’s something that he hadn’t done where he stemmed down inside and played over a guard a little bit and I think he’s probably more natural outside as an edge guy. He’s a great, great kid. Like a great kid. All of my friends that are up there said he’s one of their favorite kids and nothing but great things were said about the person at Central. And then it was the same when you walked into Michigan it was like he’s just rare character.”
One common thread with a lot of the players that Kansas City came away with during the 2020 NFL Draft was work ethic. They’re going after guys that have a reputation of being a hard worker, whether it is in the weight room, practice field or playbook.
“It starts with his character and his work ethic,” Sperduto said. “You can tell. He was one of the hardest workers at Central and then the same thing once he got to Michigan, he instantly put on weight. It’s just the reality of the business of college football Central Michigan might not have the same training table, the same things that Michigan has so he put on good weight and right away the same work ethic and the same character and the same practice habits. You watch him at practice at Michigan and he’s going just as hard if not harder because now he has to prove himself, in his mind, all over again. I think that’s kind of what we’ll get when he walks through the door. It’s funny because I actually shot him a text before the draft even started and said, ‘Hey it’s not where you’re taken. It’s what you do when you walk through the doors’. It’s funny that he’s one of our guys and you’ll notice him very quickly because that’s the type of kid he is. He’s just going to work his tail off.”
As for Danna’s fit in Kansas City, he won’t be making a switch to SAM linebacker like some thought, at least not in Sperduto’s eyes. He envisions Danna’s natural fit in the NFL at the defensive end position.
“I think his natural position is going to be as a defensive end for us and then the coaches, that’s their job as they find the best possible role for him,” Sperduto said. “I guarantee he’ll be a core teamer so Coach Toub (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub) will love him. Then, however the defensive staff, Coach Spags (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) and Coach Daly (Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach Brendan Daly) decides to use him, he’ll adapt to it. He’s a guy that’s going to adapt to whatever role you give him.”
Whatever Danna’s role will be in Kansas City, you can’t help but be excited given the way Sperduto talks about the person and the player.
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