DETROIT – The University of Michigan football team continued its impressive showing at the 2024 NFL Draft as six Wolverines were drafted during the final day of the league selection meetings on Saturday (April 27). The Maize and Blue led all college programs with 12 overall players chosen during the three-day event at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit.
With 12 players selected during the 2024 NFL Draft, U-M surpassed its previous school record of 11 draftees set during the 2017 draft. It was also the fifth time in program history that Michigan had 10 or more players chosen (11 players in 2017 and 10 on three occasions: 1972, 1974 and 2020).
Tight End AJ Barner got things started for the Wolverine on day three with his selection by the Seattle Seahawks. Barner was the 121st overall pick, which was the 21st selection of the fourth round. With the 37th choice of the fifth round, the 172nd overall pick, the Philadelphia Eagles chose offensive guard Trevor Keegan.
The Wolverines finished strong with four players chosen in the seventh round. The Carolina Panthers used the 240th pick to select linebacker Michael Barrett and nine picks later the Houston Texans chose offensive tackle LaDarius Henderson with the 249th selection. The final two Michigan players to come off the board went back-to-back as edge Jaylen Harrell went to the Tennessee Titans (252) and wide receiver Cornelius Johnson (253) was drafted by Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers.
Remaining draft-eligible members of the Michigan football program can sign free agent contracts with NFL teams.
Notes:
- Michigan had at least one player chosen in six of the seven rounds: 1st (1), 2nd (2), 3rd (3), 4th (1), 5th (1) and 7th (4). The only round where a Wolverine was not selected was the sixth round.
- The Wolverines had a program record six players drafted in the first three rounds of the draft.
- U-M finished Jim Harbaugh’s nine-year tenure as head coach with 65 players being selected in the NFL Draft.
- A total of 413 Wolverine players have been chosen in the NFL Draft.
Following are bio sketches on each of the Wolverines drafted during the third day of the NFL Draft:
AJ Barner, Tight End | 6-6, 251
Seattle Seahawks | 4th Round | 121st Pick
Barner was a major factor at tight end for the Wolverines in 2023. He played in all 15 contests and started nine games at tight end, collecting 22 receptions for 249 yards (11.3 avg.) and one touchdown. His best game in a Michigan uniform came at Michigan State, catching eight passes for 99 yards and his lone TD on the year. A great blocker as well, Barner was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award which is given to the nation’s outstanding tight end. He also earned All-Big Ten honorable mention.
A four-year letterman in college, Barner earned three letters at Indiana (2020-22) before joining U-M’s 2023 National Championship team. He played in 45 career games during his time with both programs, catching 64 passes for 610 yards (9.5 avg.) and five touchdowns. He also started 18 career contests. In the classroom, Barner earned Academic All-Big Ten honors three times.
Trevor Keegan, Offensive Guard
Philadelphia Eagles | 5th Round | 172nd Pick
A team captain in 2023, Keegan was an anchor upfront for the Wolverines’ 2023 National Championship Team. He started all 15 games at left guard, earning All-Big Ten second team honors and was a candidate for the Outland Trophy.
Keegan appeared in 45 career games, contributing along the offensive line in 43 contests with 37 starting assignments at left guard. He started the Big Ten Championship Game and CFP Semifinal each of the past three seasons as well as this year’s CFP National Championship Game against Washington. A two-time All-Big Ten performer, Keegan earned first-team honors in 2022 and second-team accolades in 2023. He played 2,256 career snaps with only two penalties called against him. Keegan was a starter on back-to-back Joe Moore Award-winning offensive lines in 2021 and 2022.
Michael Barrett, Linebacker
Carolina Panthers | 7th Round | 240th Pick
Barrett is the winningest player in school history with 61 victories in his career. A six-year letterman, Barrett appeared in a school record 64 games and started 35 contests at linebacker. He notched 208 career tackles, including 12.0 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two interceptions, six pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
A two-time All-Big Ten third team selection (2022-23), Barrett was voted a captain of Michigan’s 2023 National Championship squad. He received the Roger Zatkoff Award as the team’s top linebacker after collecting 65 stops in 2023, including 3.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups. Barrett was the team’s Most Improved Player on defense in 2022 after collecting a career-high 72 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions. He also was named All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2020.
LaDarius Henderson, Offensive Tackle/Offensive Guard
Houston Texans | 7th Round | 249th Pick
Henderson joined the Maize and Blue as a graduate transfer in 2023 and made a major contribution along the offensive line. He appeared in 14 games along the offensive line and started 10 contests at left tackle. Henderson earned All-Big Ten first team honors after helping the unit earn semifinalist honors for the Joe Moore Award.
Prior to joining the Wolverines’ 2023 National Championship team, Henderson was a four-year letterman at Arizona State (2019-22). He appeared in 33 games with 29 starts for the Sun Devils, starting at both left guard (19 games) and left tackle (10). Henderson played in 47 career games with 39 starting assignments during his five-year career.
Jaylen Harrell, Edge
Tennessee Titans | 7th Round | 252nd Pick
Harrell was a dominant force off the edge for the Wolverines during his career, with a key, game-defining play being a pressure off the edge that caused the game-ending interception in Michigan’s 2023 victory over Ohio State. Harrell played in 46 games during his career including 40 on defense. He made 31 starts off the edge. A four-year letterman, Harrell accumulated 78 tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups.
An All-Big Ten honorable mention selection the past two seasons (2022-23), he recorded nearly identical statistics during his final two seasons as a Wolverine. Harrell recorded 31 tackles during the 2023 National Championship season, with 9.0 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup. In 2022, he registered 30 stops, 7.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and two PBUs. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Harrell graduated with a degree in sport management.
Cornelius Johnson, Wide Receiver
Los Angeles Chargers | 7th Round | 253rd Pick
A five-year letterman, Johnson played in 61 career games and started 46 contests at receiver for the Wolverines. He collected 138 receptions for 2,038 yards and scored 14 touchdowns during his career. Johnson had four 100-yard receiving games, including a career-best 160 yards and two TDs at Ohio State in 2022. He hauled in at least one reception in 41 of his final 43 games in the Maize and Blue.
Johnson started 14 of the 15 games during the 2023 National Championship season. He hauled in 47 passes for 604 yards with one touchdown and gained a first down or touchdown on 34 of his 50 offensive touches (68%).
In the classroom, he was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten and graduated with a degree in communication and media.
