Junior Colson, LB, Michigan

[wu-dai clan]

Hey Junior.
Welcome to da Bolts.
You do know what the name Junior means to us right ?
Ball out !

[bartman83642]

The previous Chargers LB named Junior was pretty good.

If he is half as good as the other Junior it's a good pick.

[madcaplaughs]

Couldn't be better

Position of need
Heat seeking tackler
Smart
Knows the Defense in and out
Has responded well to current coaches
Great life story of overcoming difficult circumstances

[21&500]

Junior has a beautiful story too fwiw.

[Boltx]

Three starters so far.

Not bad, not bad.

[Bolt-O]

[Topcat]

Great pick! I predicted this pick, though I thought it would be in round 2...we'll need Colson's coverage skills to help shut down the Raiduh's Twin TE Towers and Kelce...I like Colson's pass rushing and TFL also...added bonus: He knows Minter's D inside and out...instant plug and play!

[jamrock]

Nick Bolton is the comp? LFG.

I love this pick. I love good LB play and this guy is solid, leader on #1 defense last year and award winner at LB.

[Fleet 1]

[Topcat]

Junior has a beautiful story too fwiw.

Yep...born in Haiti, adopted by an American family on a church mission trip...

[wu-dai clan]

Love this pick! I didn't think he would be there @#69.
Joe and Jim are killing this draft.

There's Nutty.
Usually you are out during the draft...getting intravenous fluids.
We know you gave it your all in the lead up to this draft.

[Kylars]

Beast - was ranked #1 LB

STRENGTHS: Looks the part with a stout, well-proportioned frame … above-average take-on strength to step downhill, fill with pop and maintain his leverage versus climbing blockers … moves well laterally with bounce in his steps … accelerates quickly to mirror and make plays outside the numbers … physical form tackler with immediate stopping power … length is an asset when tackling out in space … athletic mover in coverage with widescreen vision to pick up backside crossers in zone … uses his coverage awareness to sniff out throwing lanes and force quarterbacks to think twice before throwing … understands football concepts, and the coaches trust him to run the defense … his coaches speak highly of his work ethic and the way he has developed his body … zero penalties in 2023 and mental mistakes declined each season … high-level pain tolerance — played through a foot injury in 2022 and broken bones that required casts on both hands over the second half of the 2023 season (Colson: “Unless I can’t physically move, I’m going to be out there playing.”) … played in all 43 games Michi gan played after enrolling in Ann Arbor … awarded the 2023 Lott Impact Trophy (“Impact” stands for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity) … strong tackle production with 257 career stops in his three college seasons.

WEAKNESSES: Needs to improve his patience working downhill and avoid traps set by the blocking scheme … his hand usage needs continued re finement for quicker sheds versus NFL engagement … guilty of wasted movements in his man-coverage drops … below-average ball production and needs to make quarterbacks pay for bad decisions (only five passes defended and zero interceptions on 1,006 career coverage snaps) … didn’t play on kick or punt coverages in 2023 with minimal experience on special teams … missed 2023 spring practices after offseason foot surgery (January 2023); didn’t work out at the combine because of right hamstring strain (February 2024). SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Michigan, Colson played the Mike linebacker role in former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s 4-2-5 scheme. The leader of the No. 1 defense in college football in 2023, he was voted the team’s Defensive MVP and won the Toughest Player Award, posting outstanding production in Ann Arbor with 196 tackles over the last two seasons (59 more than the second-leading tackler for the Wolverines over that span). Colson diagnoses the action well and quickly builds his speed to make stops at the line of scrimmage or out in space. He needs to continue honing his take-on timing and man-coverage anticipation, but he has an outstanding batting average as a tackler— and I only need one hand to count the missed tackles I charted from his 2023 tape. Overall, Colson checks a lot of boxes for the next level with his physicality downhill, athleticism in space and iron-man toughness that he brings to work every day. He projects as an NFL starting MIKE early in his career and a more complete version of Derrick Barnes of the Detroit Lions

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Michigan, Colson played the Mike linebacker role in former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s 4-2-5 scheme. The leader of the No. 1 defense in college football in 2023, he was voted the team’s Defensive MVP and won the Toughest Player Award, posting outstanding production in Ann Arbor with 196 tackles over the last two seasons (59 more than the second-leading tackler for the Wolverines over that span). Colson diagnoses the action well and quickly builds his speed to make stops at the line of scrimmage or out in space. He needs to continue honing his take-on timing and man-coverage anticipation, but he has an outstanding batting average as a tackler— and I only need one hand to count the missed tackles I charted from his 2023 tape. Overall, Colson checks a lot of boxes for the next level with his physicality downhill, athleticism in space and iron-man toughness that he brings to work every day. He projects as an NFL starting MIKE early in his career and a more complete version of Derrick Barnes of the Detroit Lions.