Michigan's Jalen Mayfield drafted by Atlanta Falcons in third round of 2021 NFL draft
Jalen Mayfield is going to Atlanta.
The former Michigan offensive lineman was selected by the Falcons in the third round (No. 68 overall) of the NFL draft on , becoming the Wolverine taken.
Thus completes a meteoric rise for the former Grand Rapids Catholic Central star, who played in just 18 games across three seasons at Michigan before entering the draft.
The 6 feet 5, 326-pound lineman started 15 games for the Wolverines between 2019-20 at right tackle.
The former four-star recruit (ranked No. 268 overall in the 2018 class) played sparingly as a true freshman and redshirted. He took over the starting right tackle job in 2019 as a redshirt freshman, starting all 13 games and steadily improving as the season continued.
In 2020, Mayfield initially opted out of the college football season after the Big Ten postponed its schedule, before later opting back in. But things did not go as planned: He was injured against Michigan State in the second game of the season and did not play again.
[ The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here's how you can gain access to our most exclusive Michigan Wolverines content. ]
As prognosticators combed through film, Mayfield eventually settled in with a second-to-third round grade; some sites projected him as a late first- or second-round pick. Although he played exclusively tackle at Michigan, many believe he will play on the interior at the next level.
"Mayfield is tough and has upside, but he is going to need to get much stronger and play with better contact balance in order to handle the NFL bullies that are headed his way," wrote NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. "He has starting potential, but it might take some time."
With the selection, all five of Michigan's starters along the offensive line in 2019 — Jon Runyan Jr., Ben Bredeson, Cesar Ruiz, Michael Onwenu and Mayfield — have been drafted, with the first four hearing their names called in the 2020 draft.
Contact Orion Sang at osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan OL Jalen Mayfield goes to Atlanta Falcons in 2021 NFL draft
