Michigan NFL Draft Stock Watch: Bryce Underwood Tumbles Down Boards

Bryce Underwood came to Ann Arbor for $15 million. And from the jump, nothing less than an eventual bona fide superstar under center has been expected by Michigan faithful and analysts alike. It was simply impossible to project Underwood through collegiate coaching with the frame, speed, arm strength, and work ethic he possesses without arriving at a glowing prognosis for how his career will develop.

Entering college as the number one overall recruit and with everything seemingly working in his favor, Underwood had been a long presumed early selection of the 2028 NFL Draft. Why wouldn’t he be?

Well, his performance against Western Michigan provides a couple clues.

It’s important to preface this section with the note that single collegiate performances rarely overhaul a given prospect’s professional outlook, especially for athletes still years removed from entering the draft. Yes, NFL franchises evaluate talents based on in-game performances, but they also place as much, if not more, emphasis on measurables and future potential when examining a player. Normally, 48 minute snippets of a player’s resume won’t completely change the calculus.

Bryce Underwood was Michigan's lowest-graded player on offense on PFF last night with a 35.8 overall rating, the worst performance of his career by a decent margin (MSU last year, 40.5).

Charted with 5 turnover-worthy plays. He had 15 total all of last season.

Yet that’s exactly what Bryce Underwood’s season opening performance has done. His dud against Western Michigan did not change how tall he is, how agile he is, or how hard he throws a football. What it did do is raise the question of whether he can improve.

That’s the real issue with the Western Michigan game. Underwood had had an offseason of presumably the first fully competent coaching he’s received in college to make necessary strides from an up and down freshman campaign. Yet such strides were not taken. Rather, Underwood looked skittish in the pocket, stared down receivers, and time after time made the incorrect throw against basic coverages. Regression, not improvement, was the story of the day.

And the mock draft boards have responded.

In June, reputable mock drafts of the 2028 draft featured Underwood as the first selection off the board. Following the season opener, Underwood slipped all the way to a projected 47th by some prognosticators' estimations.

Michigan fans may be getting a Joe Milton tingle. At Michigan for three years before transferring to Tennessee, Milton had undeniable gifts at the quarterback position. Despite them though, he never gelled in Ann Arbor, winning only one game as the undisputed QB1 before finding more success at Tennessee after transferring. Milton was still selected in the NFL Draft, going in the sixth round to the New England Patriots, but at one point he seemed poised to go far higher.

For Underwood to avoid a similar fall, he must make some strides in the near future. His undeniable talent will likely guarantee an opportunity down the line in the NFL, but if he wants to rebound to where he once was on NFL mock drafts, performances like the one he turned in against Western Michigan will not do.