(2023) Mike Morris-EDGE/DE-Michigan

Mike Morris

EDGE/DE

6’6, 292

Senior

Strengths	Weaknesses
Fantastic Run Defender Very Good at Timing the Snap Size and Length Surprising Athleticism for a Big Guy Power Element to Rushing Attack	Lacks Explosiveness Plays Too Tall Little to no Bendiness Lack of a Pass Rush/Counter Move Repertoire

2022 Statistics (Per PFF)

*(Ranking is out of the 241 EDGE/LB with 200+ pass rush snaps this season)

2022 Statistic	Total	Ranking *	Rank Percentile
Pressures	37	T-60th	Top 25%
Sacks	9	T-17th	Top 7%
Hurries	21	T-100th	Top 41%
Pass Rush Win Rate	20.5%	21st	Top 9%
QB Hits	7	T-56th	Top 23%
Tackles	37	N/A	N/A
Missed Tackle %	11.1%	N/A	N/A

Write-Up:

Mike Morris is a huge edge defender from Michigan, who had his most productive collegiate season in 2022. Morris has spent all 4 of his seasons as a Wolverine, though he saw no snaps as a true Freshman in 2019, and only 5 in 2020. In 2021, Morris became a starter, although Michigan’s talented defensive front limited him to more of a rotational role (360 snaps total in 2021, 360 snaps in 2022). Still, Morris made a huge jump in production coming into his senior season.

Morris is a very intriguing blend of size and athleticism. Despite playing around 290 pounds, Morris largely lined up as a 5-tech in a 2-point stance. One potential reason behind this alignment may be his aptitude of timing the snap. Oftentimes, Morris is one of the first guys off the line, even to the point where he can be too early at times. As a pass rusher, Morris has good arm length to pair with a powerful downhill bull rush that moves blockers backwards. While his overall speed won’t blow anybody away, he has enough that he can attack the outside edge consistently. Where Morris shines the most, however, is as a run defender. He is extremely intelligent at knowing what gaps he needs to fill, and his size and length make him a phenomenal edge setter that prevents runners from bouncing around the outside. He can be a major disruptor in the backfield of running plays, and has enough speed and athleticism to blow up a play if left unchecked.

There are some holes to Morris’ game right now though. In general, Morris could use development as a pass rusher. Because of his size and playing style, Morris can play much too tall. If his bull rush can get stymied, he lacks counter moves to shed the block and is a very predictable pass rusher as of right now. While his snap timing is excellent, he may be forced to time snaps perfectly due to a distinct lack of explosiveness and burst. He may be one of the first guys off the line, but it is not hard for blockers to catch up. Morris also lacks the flexibility and bendiness that would make him a much more dangerous pass rusher.

Overall, Mike Morris projects to at the very least be a solid early down contributor thanks to his run defense prowess. To become a true every down player though, he will need to develop as a pass rusher. Still, Morris is young enough to have a fairly high ceiling if he can develop, which should make him a desirable mid-round selection in the NFL Draft.

Draft Projection:  Rounds 2-3