Tennessee Titans pick Michigan football LB Jaylen Harrell in Round 7 of 2024 NFL draft

Michigan football’s top pass rusher from the 2023 championship squad is off to the NFL.

Former Wolverine pass rusher Jaylen Harrell was drafted by the Tennessee Titans at No. 252 overall in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit.

Harrell is the latest Michigan player drafted as the Wolverines continue to send players from the stacked 2023 roster to the NFL.

He was a prolific pass rusher for the Wolverines after emerging as a full-time starter in his final two seasons in Ann Arbor. As a senior in 2023, Harrell received his second All-Big Ten honorable mention honor after finishing nine tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks (both are team-highs), with two forced fumbles and 31 tackles.

Harrell became a full-time starter at defensive end in 2022 after spending his first two seasons as a rotational player on the defensive line and special teams. Harrell finished with 11 career sacks and 20 career tackles for loss and can stop the run along with rushing the passer off the edge.

He received an 8.42 RAS (relative athletic score) based on his testing at the NFL combine in March, where he measured at 6 feet 4 and 250 pounds, running a 5.68 40-yard dash with a 37-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot, 1-inch broad jump.

Harrell, a native of Tampa, Florida, detailed his journey from college to the pros in a series of journals for the Free Press. He explained the workouts, from the Senior Bowl to individual ones with teams like the Detroit Lions, the combine and pro day, as well as his emotions going from a national championship to becoming a professional.