Michigan football had five former players competing in the Senior Bowl on Saturday, but the only one that really made an impression 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 clearly a position that has been seen less and less in football over the years, whether at the college level or on the NFL. But if a guy can do the things Mason can do on the football field, there’s always a place for him.
Just look at this pancake on a running block. That’s sure to turn some heads in the NFL’s front offices and Mason move some design boards.
That game over there basically sums up who Mason is as a footballer. You also wonder why Michigan football didn’t play the ball much last season, because as the lead blocker, Mason is a freight train.
Here’s what NFL design analyst Daniel Jeremiah had to say about Mason, via Rivals:
‘By the way, keep an eye on him. He already has some nice lead blocks in play. He’s actually started a match on the defensive line, so he’s very versatile. A very tough child. “
However, he is more than just a lead blocker. He actually started his Michigan football career as a linebacker and went on to take offense. He also played in the defensive line for a while before returning to the fullback and it looks like he’s very likely to be called up, maybe even in the middle rounds.
As for the other former Michigan footballers in the game, there wasn’t much of an impact. Nico Collins didn’t play much and didn’t see a pass for him throughout the game. Ambry Thomas didn’t see many snaps either, as did Chris Evans, who didn’t actually play at all.
But when it comes to the Senior Bowl, workouts mean more than the game and Collins, as well as Evans and Mason, did really well this week.
Collins, Mason, Thomas and Evans are joining a number of other former Wolverines such as Kwity Paye and Cam McGrone, who are expected to be called up. Paye is seen as a first round choice.
None of the guys at the Senior Bowl probably go that early, but with a solid 40 time at the combination, Collins could easily be a second or third round selection.