WATCH: 2023 National Championship team gets honored on stage during Day 2 of 2024 NFL Draft
It is day two of the 2024 NFL draft, and the stars of tomorrow are finding out which team they will be playing for next season. Before the second day's proceedings began, the current reigning college football national champions were honored.
The 2023 Michigan Wolverines were invited onto the draft stage in Detroit to the sound of the school's fight song. Watch the video below:
This symbolic act is a way to celebrate and acknowledge the current national champions, who are from the same state as where the NFL draft is being held.
The Michigan Wolverines won their National Championship after an unbeaten season that culminated with a victory over the Washington Huskies in the National Championship game. It was a team that contained the likes of quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum and defensive end Kris Jenkins.
However, the Wolverines championship victory was not without controversy, as their head coach, now Los Angeles Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh, was suspended on two different occasions. The first was for recruitment violations and then for a sign-stealing scandal.
As such, some people believe that the Michigan Wolverines won the National Championship through illicit means and the victory should not be recognized. That said, the NFL honored them in their home state on the big stage.
Which Michigan Wolverines players were picked in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft?
14 players from the Michigan Wolverines declared for the 2024 NFL draft, however, the national champions only had one player drafted in the first round.
Former Wolverines quarterback J.J McCarthy was highly rumored to be a top-five pick, potentially going to the New England Patriots, who had the third pick of the draft. However, Drake Maye became the new Patriots QB.
McCarthy could have been the number six pick owned by the New York Giants, but they decided to draft the LSU Tigers wide receiver Malik Nabers.
McCarthy had his name called as the number 10 pick by the Minnesota Vikings, who traded up to select him. McCarthy is now set to replace veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in Minnesota and will hope to be able to have the same amount of success in Minnesota than he had at Michigan.
At the time of writing, two more Michigan players have been drafted in the second round, with Kris Jenkins, heading to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 49, and Mike Sainristil being picked by the Washington Commanders at No. 50.
Will McCarthy thrive in Minnesota, and how many Michigan Wolverines players do you think will be taken in the 2024 NFL Draft?