Recapping 2012 Commit Matthew Godin

There are many offseason questions for Michigan's 2012 team.  How will the team fare against the brutal schedule?  How will Denard Robinson progress?  How will the team respond to the likely loss of Fitz Toussaint?  However, some of the biggest questions have revolved around Michigan's inexperience in the defensive line and how the team was going to replace key seniors Mike Martin and Ryan Van Bergen.  There are a few upperclassmen set to play, but one of the 2012 recruits that could potentially fill this void is Matthew Godin.

Godin is an impressive athlete that has the potential to play multiple positions on the defensive line.  According to the fall media guide, he weighs 270 lbs, which is pretty impressive for a true freshman.  What should lend more confidence is that he comes from the same high school as Mike Martin, which means he's been going through some intense strength workouts during his time there.  His best characteristic according to the scouting services has been his impressive size, which seems to make sense.  However, there seems to be a consensus among scouting services and Michigan blogs about his raw technique.  If he's going to see the field in 2012 and be productive, he's going to have to take a big step forward with his technique.  The big area that needs work are his hands, according to Scout.

Mike Martin To The Tennessee Titans

Photo Credit: nepatriotsdraft.com

With the 82nd Pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Tennesse Titans select from the University of Michigan, DT Mike Martin! Finally, what all of us have been waiting for. One of our own has come off the board. Mike ran a 4.88 in the 40 at the combine, as well as putting up 36 reps at 225 lbs and had a 33.5" vertical jump.

To give you all an idea of what the Titans are getting production wise from Mike Martin, I'll throw some numbers at you. Freshman yea,r he had 20 tackles, 4.5 for loss and 2 sacks. So not that big of production but he wasn't the main guy on the DL, so that's somewhat to be expected. As a Sophomore, his numbers improved. 51 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and a forced fumble. So already, in just one season his numbers pretty much doubled. Junior year he had 37 total tackles, 6 of which were for loss and 2.5 sacks. Let's face it this was in the RR era, where the defense was atrocious. He was the best player on that side of the ball, but its no surprise that his numbers were down. Senior year under Coach Hoke and Great Mattison, his numbers jumped. He had 64 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. So for his career at Michigan he ended up with 172 total tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and a forced fumble. Mike was constantly double teamed by the opposition and he still found ways to impact the game. Always penetrating the backfield and disrupting run plays or getting after the quarterback. One thing for sure is that the Titans are getting a freak athlete and a guy that is going to work extremely hard day in and day out. The battles he had in practice against Rimington Award Winner David Molk certainly helped. Maybe not right away, but with some work and developing, he will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.

Mel Kiper and Todd McShay both praised Mike Martin. With his great wrestling background, he's great at getting leverage and penetrating into the backfield. In my opinion, Martin is going to be great for the Titans. They aren't very strong on the defensive line in the middle. They were 24th in the league last year allowing just over 128 yards per game on the ground. Total yardage they were 18th in the league, but let's face it they do have a great backfield. Mike Martin will go along way towards solidifying the defensive line and thus making that defense that much better.

I wish Mike the best of luck in the NFL playing for the Titans we all know that he is going to be a force to reckon with. With his tireless work ethic and tenacity on the field to get after the quarterback he will do big things in years to come.

For Michigan's Seniors, The Future Is Now

The NFL draft is coming up, but before that happens, there is a lot of work to do for the coaches and GMs. College pro days are in full swing, giving more athletes an opportunity to show their skills whether or not they were invited to the Scouting Combine back in February. Michigan's pro day has come and gone and I'm going to throw some ideas out there about our seniors. Michigan will not have an underclassmen that has declared for the draft, which I think that is more of a testament to the type of program Hoke is building.

First, I'm not a draft expert. Picking the draft correctly is like being perfect on your NCAA Tournament bracket. It's just not going to happen. However, I've tried not to attach myself to player stats. Everyone knows by know that Jerry Rice was criticized at college for being too slow. Are we going to argue about that now? I can tell you where I believe each player would be best suited to go. Then of course, this is all subject to opinion and any views expressed forthwith are just mine.

Mike Martin, DT--Martin was an absolute stud this past season. Martin has always been a talented player on the defensive line. It took Mattison's arrival to show just how special he can be. Some scouts believe his height is a detriment, but with his motor, there's nothing that can prevent him from being an important cog on the D-line. My guess: Vikings. Kevin and Pat Williams no longer anchor their stout line, and the entire defense has holes. I could see him going in the early to mid 3rd round area.

David Molk, C--This is a tricky one for NFL scouts. He repeated his numbers at the pro day from the Combine, but also had his right foot in a cast. Molk communicates wonderfully at the line of scrimmage, rarely gets called for penalties, and knows how to audible. When he came out due to an injury at the Sugar Bowl, the drop-off was considerable. Centers can come at a premium at the NFL level, but with time Molk could easily be a Pro Bowler. My guess: Packers. The Packers just lost their sturdy Pro Bowl center Scott Wells to free agency. I believe Molk would be an asset hiking the ball to Aaron Rodgers, and he should be gone in the late 2nd round.

Junior Hemingway, WR--The NFL is a quarterback driven league. This past season had a bounty of passing records broken. Every team looks for the next big thing, and Hemingway could be it. He surprised scouts at both the Combine and the pro day with his speed. Considering he's always able to run that long post route, or go over the middle, he is an ideal fit for any team. My guess: Broncos. With losing Eddie Royal to free agency, that leaves Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker at receiver. That wouldn't be too bad with Tebow at the helm, but now that Peyton Manning has signed on as starting quarterback, they're going to need at least one more receiver to catch his passes. Middle of 4th round.

Kevin Koger, TE-- Team captain Koger seemed to disappear at times last season, yet he always makes that spectacular catch or block on just the right play. Snubbed by not getting an invite to the combine, that might make him work harder for a roster spot. My guess: Cardinals. Tight ends are becoming the sexy position of the league. Koger could be one of the top 10 TEs taken, but I don't think that'll happen till the 5th or 6th rounds.

Martavious Odoms, WR--Always efficient and elusive. In the NFL, probably better suited as a return man and special teams player. My guess: Chargers. San Diego's special teams suffered last year by losing Darren Sproles to free agency. Odoms could be that guy to step in. I wouldn't go after him til the 6th to 7th rounds however.

Ryan Van Bergen, DL--Alongside Martin, they were a formidable team to try to run against. Some pro teams stockpile players on the D-line, and Van Bergen fits any defensive system. My guess: Browns. Cleveland seems to be perpetually bad on defense, and Van Bergen could end up as a starter. I'm guessing 6th round.

Troy Woolfolk, CB--Woolfolk is a true mystery. Will he be a shutdown corner that we've seen flashes of, or the oft-injured guy we pined for? One thing that might be going for him is his dad, Butch, was drafted by the Giants in 1982. My guess: Buccaneers. The defense is aging for the Bucs, a la Ronde Barber, and Woolfolk could be a stopgap measure to replace him. I'm figuring on 7th round.

Steve Watson, Mark Huyge, Brandon Herron, Kelvin Grady, Tony Anderson, Michael Shaw, J.B. Fitzgerald, Marell Evans, Jared Van Slyke, John McColgan, Zac Johnson, amd Will Heininger are all probably going to be undrafted, or undrafted free-agents.

The 7 listed players above, however, do signal a shift in players drafted out of Michigan. In recent years the numbers have dwindled to 3 or 4. Hopefully our outgoing seniors will show we're still here to contend with, because we're "Michigan for God's sake".

Photo Credit: Miami New Times