Junior Colson, LB Michigan: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Colson was a four-star recruit from Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tenn. in the class of 2021

The Michigan Wolverines have one of the nation’s most talented defenses. Linebacker Junior Colson is the heart of their defense’s second level. He is an explosive linear athlete with upside in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Junior Colson, LB Michigan: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior MIKE linebacker from Brentwood, Tenn.

Background: Colson was a four-star recruit from Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tenn. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 90 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 84 for Rivals, and No. 91 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 144th in the nation with an 84 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, Colson made 59 tackles, including 7.5 for loss with 3.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries. He also scored on a 90-yard kick return touchdown and blocked a punt. Colson finished his junior season with 175 tackles, including 30 for loss and 14 sacks. He was a semifinalist for the 2020 Butkus Award, which goes to the nation’s top high school linebacker. Colson was selected for the 2020 All-American Bowl. He was born on Dec. 6, 2002 in Haiti and spent his first nine years in his native country before moving to the U.S. At a regional for The Opening in 2019, Colson ran a 4.77 40-yard dash and a 4.31 shuttle. He also jumped 34 inches in the vertical.

Injuries & Off-Field: Played through left foot injury in 2022, missed 2023 spring practices after left foot surgery,

Awards: 2022 Second Team All-Big Ten (Coaches), 2022 Third Team All-Big Ten (Media)

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, tall frame, explosive linear athlete, patiently approaches the line and waits for a gap to the RB, identifies and explodes through gaps for backfield tackles, reads the quarterback’s eyes in coverage, success covering Payne Durham in zone (2022), quick to recognize and trigger on screens and RB routes to the flat, good reps covering running backs to the flat, good awareness in zone coverage at shallow depth, physical at the top of the stem on shallow crossers, gains good depth in his half-turn, wrap-up tackler who rarely misses, effort in pursuit, two defensive penalties in 2021 and 2022 combined

Cons: Arm length might be a concern, play strength as a stack linebacker could be problematic, speed limits his range and playmaking, stop-start agility isn’t there, beaten by running backs to the corner, high stance leads to poor pad level when taking on blocks, no ability to combat climbing linemen, lack of success stacking and shedding climbing linemen, put on the ground a lot by linemen, limited coverage instincts, looks out of place in zone coverage beyond ten yards downfield, limited awareness of receivers behind him, covers space instead of pass catchers, doesn’t have the agility for man coverage, grabby in coverage, athletically threatened up the seam by tight ends

Overview: Colson has special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. He is an explosive linear athlete with a tall frame and questionable arm length. Colson’s play strength as a stack linebacker could be problematic. He can’t combat climbing linemen since he struggles to stack and shed blocks. His high stance contributes to his poor pad level and lack of leverage when taking on blocks. Linemen easily overwhelm Colson and put him on the turf. The junior patiently approaches the line and waits for a gap to the running back. He identifies and explodes through gaps for tackles in the backfield. Colson is quick to recognize and trigger on screens and running back routes to the flat. He found success covering tight end Payne Durham against Purdue in 2022. The All-Big Ten linebacker displays good awareness in zone coverage at shallow depth. He gains good depth in his half-turn and is physical at the top of the stem on shallow crossers. Colson is a wrap-up tackler who rarely misses and gives significant effort in pursuit. The Tennessee native doesn’t have elite speed, and his stop-start agility falls short at times. He has limited coverage instincts and looks out of place in zone coverage beyond ten yards downfield. Colson doesn’t have the agility for man coverage and gets grabby in coverage. Tight ends stress him up the seam. There were massive differences between how Colson played in the 2022 Purdue and Ohio State games. The back-to-back games showcase the range of potential outcomes for Colson. He was largely a non-factor against the Buckeyes. He looked out of place in coverage and couldn’t stack or disengage from blockers in the run game like Luke Wypler and Cade Stover. Outside of a chase down play to the sideline where he arrived as the second defender and some gang tackles, Colson wasn’t a playmaker. Fast forward to the game against Purdue, and Colson is back to firing through gaps, making run stops near the line of scrimmage, and suffocating short routes by tight end Payne Durham. The playmaking was back in full force, and some of that coverage upside carried over to Michigan’s next game against TCU. Colson enters the 2024 season as a project linebacker in need of big performances against NFL-caliber talent.

Overall, Colson is an explosive linear athlete who needs to develop his stack and shed technique to handle climbing linemen. The junior also needs to diversify his coverage profile and become more comfortable operating further away from the line of scrimmage. He’s a day three project pick who has a lot to gain during the 2023 season.

Role & Scheme Fit: Protected MIKE in a 4-3 scheme behind a strong defensive front

Round Projection: Mid Fourth to Early Fifth

Size: 6'3", 247 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 09-14-23