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It’s still a long ways away, given that we don’t even know yet when Michigan will return to the practice field, but that hasn’t kept some outlets from predicting what will happen following the 2020 season.
Of course, our sister site, DraftWire, is looking ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft just like ESPN and CBS has, but the difference here is that writer Luke Easterling put together a two-round mock draft, and he thinks that 2021 could look awfully similar to 2020. This past April, the maize and blue saw an offensive lineman drafted in the first-round and a nominal defensive end (Josh Uche is technically a SAM linebacker, but is projected as an edge rusher) in the second.
DraftWire expects history to repeat itself in 2021, with Easterling’s prediction that junior offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield will be selected at No. 24 overall — the same pick New Orleans used to pick Cesar Ruiz in 2020 — by the Seattle Seahawks, while defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is predicted to be picked at No. 52 by the Minnesota Vikings.
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Of course, given that both are juniors, and both have another year of eligibility remaining beyond 2020, they’d have to opt out of their senior seasons. While that seems like it could be a strong possibility for a first-round talent like Mayfield, given that Hutchinson is a legacy — the son of star defensive end Chris Hutchinson — his chances of leaving early could be a little more murky, as he may choose to more firmly cement his Michigan legacy over going pro in 2021.
Regardless, DraftWire’s prediction tells you a lot of what you need to know about Michigan’s continued excellence along both the offensive and defensive lines. The next step is getting the skill positions involved — something that certainly could take a big step forward if players like Nico Collins and Ronnie Bell continue to improve upon solid years in recent memory.
If those predictions were to hold, additionally, Mayfield would be joining a Seahawks squad with Delano Hill and Bryan Mone, while Hutchinson would reunite with Josh Metellus as well as former middle linebacker Ben Gedeon.