3 Michigan stars Jim Harbaugh should draft with the Chargers

After years of anticipation, Jim Harbaugh is finally heading back to the NFL. Harbaugh returned to his alma mater of Michigan to help lead the Wolverines football program to a national championship. In his ninth year on the job, Michigan beat the Washington Huskies 34-13 to win the CFP National Championship. Now, Harbaugh is making the jump back to the NFL and lands in the AFC West.

According to multiple reports, Harbaugh has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Chargers to become their new head coach.

After winning a national championship in college football, Harbaugh will now look to add another piece of hardware missing from his resume -- a Lombardi Trophy. It certainly helps that Harbaugh will get to coach Justin Herbert, one of the top young quarterbacks in the league.

The Chargers are going to be picking early in the 2024 NFL Draft, as they hold the No. 5 overall pick. This would not only give Harbaugh and the Chargers to draft the best players available but also for the head coach to bring in some former Wolverines to his team.

Here are three Michigan players that Harbaugh and the Chargers should draft this April.

3. Junior Colson, LB

If there is one area that Harbaugh needs to fix, it's the defense. While the Chargers hired Brandon Staley as head coach for his work as defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, they struggled on that side of the line of scrimmage. This season, the Chargers allowed an average of 362.9 yards (fifth-most) and 23.4 points (ninth-most) per game.

One way the Chargers can shore up the defense is to bring in some help at linebacker. Given that Michigan had the best defense in all of college football this past season, it only makes sense for the Chargers to target Junior Colson.

Colson ranks highly among the top off-ball linebacker prospects in the entire 2024 class. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has Colson ranked third overall at his position.

This past season, Colson recorded 68 tackles (34 assisted), 36 defensive stops, 10 quarterback hurries, and one sacks, per Pro Football Focus. In coverage, Colson allowed 25 receptions for 185 yards and one touchdown on 36 targets.

During his three seasons at Michigan, Colson was named second team All Big-Ten twice (2022, 2023). In total, Colson recorded 256 total tackles (114 solo, 142 assisted), five passes defended, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.

Considering the Chargers will select early in the second-round, there's a possibility that Jenkins could be available. Granted it's still very early, and there's a chance he could increase his stock to become a sure-fire first-round pick. Regardless, Colson to the Chargers makes too much sense.