KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 2023 NFL Draft closed on Saturday (April 29) and five players from the University of Michigan football program heard their names called for a weekend total of nine players drafted. Defensive lineman Mike Morris and center Olusegun Oluwatimi were chosen four picks apart by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round. Punter Brad Robbins (Cincinnati Bengals), offensive lineman Ryan Hayes (Miami Dolphins) and wide receiver Ronnie Bell (San Francisco 49ers) were selected in the seventh round.
With nine players chosen this weekend, U-M has reached 401 players drafted as a program and is now one of six programs in college football to have 400-plus players selected in the NFL Draft.
This marks the sixth draft in eight since head coach Jim Harbaugh has been leading the program in which at least five Wolverines have been selected, and the fourth with at least eight players selected. With two specialists chosen this weekend, U-M has had at least one player drafted at every major position on offense, defense and special teams during Harbaugh's tenure.
The Seahawks selected Morris with the 151st overall selection in the fifth round and chose Oluwatimi at No. 154. Morris and Oluwatimi are the sixth and seventh Wolverines drafted by the Seattle organization, respectively, and the first U-M players taken since wide receiver Amara Darboh (2017). Morris is the first defensive lineman chosen by Seattle since Frank Clark (2015). The last time the team chose a U-M offensive lineman was Steve Hutchinson (2001). Both will join former Wolverine defensive lineman Bryan Mone on the roster.
Morris had his best season in the maize and blue as a senior, earning second-team All-America honors in 2022. He was the Big Ten's Defensive Lineman of the Year after earning first team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media. The team's Richard Katcher Award winner as the team's top defensive lineman, Morris was also a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award and a candidate for the Ted Hendricks Trophy. He started at edge defender in 11 contests and played in 12 games, recording 23 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and three pass breakups.
A three-year letterman, Morris appeared in 27 career games and made 16 starts during his career. He registered 40 tackles, 12 TFLs, eight sacks, one interception and three PBUs during his career. Morris earned Academic All-Big Ten honors his final three seasons (2020-22).
Oluwatimi made the most of his only season in the winged helmet, earning consensus All-America honors and winning the Rimington Trophy (nation's best center) and Outland Trophy (country's best lineman) in 2022. He started all 14 games at center and helped anchor an offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award as college football's best offensive line for the second straight season. In addition to winning two individual national awards, Oluwatimi was a semifinalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award. He earned first team All-Big Ten honors.
Cincinnati chose its second Wolverine of the weekend (DJ Turner, second round) when it made Brad Robbins its sixth-round selection (217th overall). The Westerville, Ohio, native is the 17th Wolverine drafted by the Bengals, joining former U-M teammates Daxton Hill, Chris Evans and Turner on the roster.
A four-year starter at punter and five-year letterman, Robbins was a three-time Ray Guy Award candidate and 2021 semifinalist for the award honoring the nation's outstanding punter. He was twice selected as a finalist for the Mortell Holder of the Year award (2021-22). Robbins was a two-time All-Big Ten honorable mention selection. He is the first player in program history to be a two-time recipient of the Robert P. Ufer Bequest as the top senior demonstrating the most enthusiasm and love for Michigan.
On the field, he finished his career ranked second in Michigan history with a 43-yard average and is one of nine punters at U-M with a career average better than 40 yards per punt. He punted 179 times for 7,689 yards (43.0 avg.) with a 66-yard career-long punt. Robbins had 61 punts downed inside the opposition's 20-yard line with only nine career touchbacks; 75 of his 179 punts were fair caught.
Hayes was selected by Miami in the seventh round with the 238th pick overall. He is the ninth player from U-M to be chosen by the Dolphins, who have a penchant for drafting offensive linemen when they pick Wolverines. Offensive tackle Jake Long (2008) was the last Wolverine drafted by Miami, who also chose linemen Tony Pape (2004) and Jon Giesler (1979).
The starting left tackle for back-to-back Joe Moore Award-winning offensive lines, Hayes was a four-year letterman and three-year starter. He appeared in 40 career contests and started 30 games at left tackle. Hayes earned All-Big Ten second-team honors twice (2021-22) and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient.
He started 12 games at left tackle in 2022 and helped Michigan's offense surpass 6,000 total offensive yards in both 2021 and 2022, which were the second and third times accomplishing the feat in school history. Hayes was a candidate for the Rotary Lombardi Award and earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades.
The 49ers chose Bell with the 253rd selection overall (seventh round). He is the 18th Wolverine drafted by the franchise and will join former U-M teammates Moody and Ambry Thomas on the west coast. San Francisco has drafted four U-M wide receivers, with the last prior to Bell being Tai Streets (1999).
Bell appeared in 47 career games and started at receiver in 31 contests. A five-year letterman, he finished his career tied for ninth in school history in receiving yards (2,269) and is 10th in receptions (145). Bell scored nine receiving touchdowns and had 36 career receptions of 20-plus yards. A team captain for a pair of Big Ten Championship-winning teams, Bell hauled in at least one reception in 29 straight games played. He had 75 or more receiving yards in 13 games during his career, including four 100-yard receiving efforts.
As a senior, Bell led the receiving corps career highs in receptions (62), receiving yards (889) and touchdowns (four), earning the team's Offensive Skill Player of the Year award. He was a semifinalist for the Comeback Player of the Year award nationally and earned All-Big Ten third-team honors from the media and coaches. Bell started all 14 games at receiver in 2022.
Notes
• In eight NFL Drafts since head coach Jim Harbaugh has been leading the program, U-M has had every major position selected at least once. On offense: quarterback, running back, tight end, h-back/fullback, wide receiver, offensive line (tackle and interior). On defense: defensive line (edge and interior), linebacker, cornerback, and safety. Among specialists: kicker, punter, and long snapper.
• When Ryan Hayes was selected in the seventh round, it marked 400 U-M players drafted in program history. Michigan is one of six programs in college football with 400-plus players chosen in the NFL Draft (401).
• At least one Michigan player has been selected in 85 consecutive NFL Drafts (1938 to present), continuing the program's NCAA record streak among its peers.
• Two Wolverines were chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in Mike Morris (151th overall) and Olu Oluwatimi (154). The last time a team selected two U-M players in the same year was 2020, when the New England Patriots chose Josh Uche (60) and Michael Onwenu (182) in the same draft.
• The three-pick spread between selections from U-M is the tightest since Devin Bush (10) and Rashan Gary (12) were chosen in the first round of the 2019 draft. Chase Winovich (77) and David Long (79) also were chosen three picks apart that year.
• When punter Brad Robbins was chosen in the sixth round (Cincinnati Bengals), he and kicker Jake Moody (San Francisco 49ers) became the first pair of U-M specialists to be drafted in the same year. In the last 40 NFL Drafts, only U-M (2023) and Utah (2019; kicker Mitch Wishnowsky, punter Matt Gay) have had multiple specialists drafted in the same year.
• In six of the eight NFL Drafts to occur since head coach Harbaugh has been leading the program, at least five Wolverines have been selected. In four drafts, at least eight Wolverines have been selected.
• Fifty-three players have been drafted during Harbaugh's tenure, including eight first-round picks.