Michigan Transfers News: Replacing Two Likely First-Round Picks On The Defensive Line Is Not An Enviable Task, Four-star defensive back committed to a Big Ten program, Michigan is where it wants to be in early springtime
Replacing two likely first-round picks on the defensive line is not an enviable task. No team can lose that level of talent in one position room and expect next year’s group to perform at the same level.
But that difficult reality is what the Michigan football team has had to grapple with over the offseason. Now as spring practices start, the Wolverines will begin to see if their transfer-oriented strategy is enough for the D-line to remain a strength, even if not as talented as a year ago.
Michigan likely expected former defensive linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant’s names to be called on the first night of the NFL Draft — which will become official in less than a month — long before the end of last season. Given ample time to prepare, the Wolverines’ first move was taking swings in the December transfer window.
“We did a nice job in the portal with the two veteran tackles that we got in here,” Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said Monday. “So it’s going to be interesting to see how it all works out, just like I said before we played Alabama. But also I feel really confident in the depth that we have in that room. I feel more confident now than I did last year at this time with the depth.”
