In Michigan football, five former players competed in the Senior Bowl on Saturday, but the only one who really made an impact was Ben Mason.
Of all the former Michigan footballers who competed in the Senior Bowl on Saturday, it was probably Ben Mason who helped his NFL draft the most.
Fullback is obviously a position that has been seen less and less in football, whether at the university level or the NFL. But if a man can do the things Mason can do on the football field, there will always be a place for him.
Just look at this pancake on a run block. That would definitely turn a few heads in the NFL front offices and move Mason up a few draft boards.
The play there actually basically takes on who Mason is as a football player. It also makes you wonder why Michigan football has not run the ball a lot this past season, because as a main blocker, Mason is a freight train.
Here’s what Daniel Jeremiah, NFL draft analyst, said about Mason via Rivals:
‘Watch him casually. He already had some nice front blocks in the game. He actually started a game on the defensive line, so he is very versatile. A very tough kid. ‘
However, he is more than just a main blocker. He actually started his football career in Michigan as a linebacker and moved on to the offense. He also played defensively for a while before returning to fullback, and it sounds like the chances are good that he will be lined up, maybe even in the middle rounds.
As for the other former Michigan footballers in the game, there was not much impact. Nico Collins did not play a ton and did not see a pass thrown throughout the game. Ambry Thomas also did not see many snaps, nor did Chris Evans, who actually did not play at all.
Still, as far as the Senior Bowl is concerned, practice means more than the game, and Collins, as well as Evans and Mason, did really well this week.
Collins, Mason, Thomas and Evans join a number of other former Wolverines such as Kwity Paye and Cam McGrone, who are expected to be drafted. Paye is considered a first choice.
None of the guys at the Senior Bowl are likely to go that early, but with a solid forty times at the kitchen, Collins could easily be a second or third round.