Chargers pick Michigan LB Junior Colson in 2nd round of 2024 NFL draft. What to know

The Los Angeles Chargers selected Michigan football linebacker Junior Colson with the 69th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. Colson played at Michigan for three seasons and finished as a three-time Big Ten champion and national champion as the starting middle linebacker. Here’s everything you need to know about Colson:

Junior Colson scouting report

Colson was the signal-caller for Michigan’s top-ranked defense from middle linebacker. In 43 career college games, he started 36 at linebacker, leading U-M in tackles in 2022 and 2023 and put up his career-best games in the final stretches of both his sophomore and junior season. In terms of toughness, Colson played through two broken hands to finish 2023, racking up tackles with two clubs on his hands to help the Wolverines to the national title.

Junior Colson height, weight

Colson is listed at 6-foot-2 and weighs in at 238 lbs. He's a Brentwood, Tennessee native and attended Ravenwood (Tenn.) High School.

Junior Colson college stats

Across 43 games, Colson notched 245 tackles (eight tackles for loss), one sack and one fumble recovery.

Junior Colson highlights

If you turn on any of Michigan’s games in 2023, especially from the regular season finale against Ohio State and onward, you’ll see a lot of Colson making tackles. He showed a nose for the football as a sideline-to-sideline defender and orchestrated Michigan’s on-field calls while doing so. The All-Big Ten linebacker finished his season with 11 tackles against OSU, eight tackles and two passes defended against Iowa, 10 takedowns against Alabama and six tackles versus Washington. All while dealing with mangled hands.

Junior Colson pro day results

Colson did not participate in the NFL combine outside of measuring in at 6-2 and 238 pounds due to a hamstring injury and did not have a chance to participate in Michigan’s pro day due to visiting with NFL teams, per NFL.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chargers pick Michigan LB Junior Colson in 2024 NFL draft. What to know