The Michigan football team’s playoff run may be complete, but plenty of former Wolverines are chasing a championship of their own in the NFL Playoffs.
The Michigan football team’s playoff run may be complete, but plenty of former Wolverines are chasing a championship of their own in the NFL Playoffs, which continue with the divisional round games taking place this week.
Though nine Wolverines saw their teams eliminated last weekend (see more on them in the second half of this story), 14 former Michigan players remain alive in the NFL playoffs. That includes eight players slated to be starters in this weekend’s games.
Take a look at all 23 players’ seasons below, as well as what to expect in this weekend’s games.
Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
Wide receiver Nico Collins
Just like his team, Nico Collins has enjoyed an exceptional breakout season. The former Michigan started a healthy 927 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his first two seasons, but burst onto the national scene with 80 catches, 1,287 yards (eighth in the NFL) and eight touchdowns (also eighth). That included an exceptional week 18 performance, in which he recorded nine catches for 195 yards and a touchdown.
He and the Texans (10-7 regular season, 1-0 playoffs) have won four of five to advance to the divisional round. Last week in his playoff debut, Collins caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, and added a four-yard run in Houston’s 45-14 win.
Linebacker David Ojabo (injured reserve)
Fullback Ben Mason (practice squad)
Linebacker Josh Ross (practice squad)
The Ravens have three former Michigan players on their roster, but none are currently expected to play in the playoffs. Ojabo played in three games this season, recording six tackles, one sack and one forced fumble before missing the rest of the season with season-ending ACL injury.
Mason and Ross are on the practice squad and not expected to play in the playoffs. Mason has played one game this season, making his NFL debut with 20 snaps (19 on special teams) in Baltimore’s Week 18 loss to Pittsburgh. Ross played in three games for the Ravens this fall, playing 69 special teams snaps.
Defensive end Rashan Gary
Offensive guard Jon Runyan Jr.
Saturday night’s game will feature former Michigan standouts on both teams, on both sides of the ball. The Green Bay Packers will have a starter on each side of the ball that had productive Wolverine careers before emerging as key pieces to Green Bay’s present and future. On defense, Rashan Gary helps lead Green Bay at the edge position, where he has recorded 44 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups and 44 quarterback pressures. He had one tackle, two pressures and one fumble recovery in last week’s win over Dallas.
On offense, Jon Runyan Jr. is enjoying a third straight season as the Packers’ starting guard. He has played 85 percent of Green Bay’s offensive snaps this season, and started all 17 games for the Packers. He played 61 percent of the Packers’ offensive snaps last week.
Wide receiver Ronnie Bell
Kicker Jake Moody
Cornerback Ambry Thomas
The NFC’s top team in the regular season sports three recent Michigan players on its active roster, and all three are expected to play in some capacity after the 49ers’ bye week last week. Starting at kicker for the 49ers will be Jake Moody, who was an All-American and Lou Groza Award winner at Michigan. Moody, a third-round pick last spring, has made 21 of 25 field-goal attempts this season, including 6 of 9 attempts from at least 40 yards and 2 of 3 attempts of 50 or more yards. He is also 60 for 61 on extra points.
On offense, Ronnie Bell is a rookie reserve, and has caught six of 13 targets for 68 yards and three touchdowns. He has played in all 17 games for San Francisco, and has also returned 10 punts for 70 yards. Bell has played 17 percent of San Francisco’s offensive snaps and 26 percent of special teams snaps.
On the other side of the ball, Ambry Thomas is in a career-year in his third NFL season. The cornerback has a career-high 43 tackles, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble and one interception in 15 games, including six starts. He has played 49 percent of defensive snaps, and 30 percent of special teams snaps.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions
Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, NBC
Offensive guard Graham Glasgow
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson
Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones
Offensive lineman Michael Schofield (practice squad)
Led by NFL Pro-Bowler Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions have a host of Michigan players suiting up for Sunday afternoon’s game. Hutchinson has been arguably the face of the Lions as a second-year standout edge, and recorded 51 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, seven pass breakups, an interception and 62 quarterback pressures in the regular season. Last week, Hutchinson had two sacks, two tackles for loss, six tackles and five quarterback hits in Detroit’s 24-23 win over Los Angeles.
Three former Wolverines will play on offense, though their roles in Sunday’s game will vary. Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones was traded to Detroit midseason from Cleveland, and recorded 13 receptions and 145 receiving yards, including five receptions for 58 yards in Detroit. He was not targeted in last week’s win, but had a four-yard punt return. Graham Glasgow has started 15 of 17 games for Detroit this season across the offensive line, playing 80 percent of the Lions’ offensive snaps. He is listed as the Lions’ starting right guard, and backup center behind Pro Bowler Frank Ragnow. Michael Schofield, in his ninth NFL season, has yet to play in a game this season, but is on the Lions’ practice squad for the game.
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills
Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Defensive end Michael Danna
Though Chad Henne and Frank Clark are no longer with the Chiefs, Michael Danna remains as a Wolverine representative with the reigning Super Bowl champs. The graduate transfer standout in 2019 continues to shine for Kansas City, recording 50 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three pass breakups and 21 quarterback pressures in 16 games, all starts. Every one of those figures is a career-high for the fourth-year contributor. He and the Chiefs went 11-6 this fall, but have been up-and-down since beginning the season 6-1. Danna had one tackle in last week’s win over Miami.
Eliminated
Pittsburgh Steelers
Center Mason Cole
A four-year starter for the Wolverines, Mason Cole continues to roll on to a productive NFL career. In his sixth NFL season, Cole started all 17 games for the Steelers, playing all 1,071 offensive snaps. It’s his third season starting every regular-season game at the NFL level. He snapped the ball for a Steelers team that won three straight games to finish 10-7 and make it into the playoffs, but fell to Buffalo in the wild-card round.
Dallas Cowboys
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis
Tight end Sean McKeon (injured reserve)
Tight end Luke Schoonmaker
Defensive tackle Mazi Smith
Eliminated last week by Green Bay, the Cowboys were flush with former Michigan players this season, including two rookies. The most notable Cowboy who once donned the maize and blue is Jourdan Lewis. The former All-American cornerback played in 16 games with eight starts coming off injury this season. He finished the regular season with 52 tackles, two tackles for loss, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and an interception this season. He played 75 percent of Dallas’s defensive snaps against the Packers, allowing one reception for 39 yards on four targets, with one tackle.
Also on defense is Mazi Smith, who was a first-round draft pick last spring. Smith has had a tough rookie season, recording 13 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack in 17 games and three starts. He has played in 28 percent of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps. He played just four snaps against the Packers.
On offense, the Cowboys have two tight ends from Connecticut, though only one will be active Sunday. Luke Schoonmaker, a second-round rookie, has eight receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns. He has played 31 percent of Dallas’ offensive snaps and 50 percent of the Cowboys’ special teams snaps, and had one catch for seven yards against Green Bay. Joining him in the tight end room is McKeon, who has been on the injured since December with an ankle injury.
Philadelphia Eagles
Defensive end Brandon Graham
Playing in his staggering 14th NFL season, Brandon Graham continues a long, illustrious career with the Eagles. Graham has played in all 17 games, but his numbers are definitively in decline. Coming off the bench in every game, Graham has recorded 16 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass breakup and 11 quarterback pressures. He has now played in 205 career NFL games, and recorded five tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack in 33 snaps.
Miami Dolphins
Offensive lineman Ryan Hayes
A rookie offensive lineman, Hayes has spent the season on Miami’s practice squad. The three-year Michigan starter and seventh-round NFL Draft pick last spring did not appear in a game during his rookie season.
Cleveland Browns
Defensive tackle Mo Hurst Jr. (injured reserve)
Defensive back Vincent Gray (practice squad)
Though no Michigan products suited up for Cleveland in the playoffs, two Michigan players are a member of the franchise. Former All-American tackle Mo Hurst is on the injured reserve (pectoral) after appearing in 13 games this season, recording 22 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception, three passes defensed and one fumble recovery.
Vincent Gray, a second-year NFL player, made his NFL debut last week, recording five tackles and two pass breakups in 61 snaps for the Browns. He is not on the active roster for this weekend’s playoff game.
