Will These MA Locals Hear Their Names Called In The NFL Draft?

MASSACHUSETTS — The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft will be held Thursday night in Detroit, with big storylines around the New England Patriots and the third pick.

However, there are other reasons for Massachusetts residents to watch the seven-round draft.

Seven players who were either born in or played college football in Massachusetts are eligible for this year’s draft. They range in draft projection from day 2 — second and third rounds — to the back of the draft, but each could start the new league year with the hopes of making an NFL roster.

Get to know the NFL hopefuls:

Mike Sainristil, Michigan

Everett, Mass., Everett High School

Mike Sainristil started his career at Michigan playing both sides of the ball. He ended his career as a National Champion, team captain and one of the most productive defensive backs in the recent history of the program.

Because of his smaller stature, experts believe Sainristil will be most effective playing in the slot, and teams hope his ball production will follow him to the NFL.

In 2023, Sainristil intercepted six passes and led all defensive backs with 44 tackles, including four tackles for loss.

He set a single-season program record with 232 interception return yards and also tied for the single-season and career interceptions-returned-for-touchdowns record with two, according to the Michigan Athletics page.

Sainristil received a second-round grade from Dane Brugler, who ranks him 43rd overall. He also received a second-round grade from Lance Zierlein, and was ranked 44th by The Ringer’s Danny Kelly.

Cole Bishop, Utah

Peachtree City, Georgia

The safety from Utah attended high school and grew up in Georgia, but was actually born in the Boston area to a family with deep roots in the area and the area’s professional sports teams.

He received a second to third-round grade from Dane Brugler, who ranks him 70th overall. Lance Zierlein gives him a third-round grade.

Bishop broke out as a senior when he was named to the College Football Network All-America Second Team and a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe award.

Christian Mahogany, Boston College

Elmwood Park, New Jersey

Mahogany is a mauler in the run game, and there's a chance this section would have been written last year had he not missed the 2022 season due to injury, when he was named to the preseason All-ACC team.

He made up for missed time in 2023, when he was named to the All-ACC first team starting all 12 regular season games at right guard.

In Nate Tice’s big board for Yahoo!, Mahogany is described as a bulldog in the run game, where he’s a plus player. He will need to develop in pass protection to take the next step, and he gets a year to develop those skills ahead of the team moving toward their quarterback of the future.

He is ranked 99th overall by Dane Brugler who gives him a third to fourth-round grade.

Zak Zinter, Michigan

North Andover, Mass., Buckingham Browne and Nichols School

Zinter couldn’t have achieved much more as a college football player. In 2023 he was a unanimous first-team All-American during Michigan’s undefeated National Championship season.

He was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2022 and 2023, and served as team captain as a senior.

Zinter received a fourth-round grade from Dane Brugler and Lance Zierlein, though Brugler noted a broken leg Zinter suffered late last year is likely the reason he could fall in the draft.

Elijah Jones, Boston College

Harlem, New York

Elijah Jones became an All-ACC first-team selection in 2023 as a graduate student at Boston College after being named an honorable mention in 2022.

He broke the record for games played at Boston College with 60 and increased his ball production in 2023 with five interceptions.

Jones received a fifth-round grade from Dane Brugler and a fourth-round grade from Lance Zierlein.

Jalen Coker, Holy Cross

Sterling, Virginia

Coker is an interesting proposition for NFL evaluators coming out of Holy Cross, where he didn’t face high-level competition but dominated at wide receiver. He leaves Worcester as the program leader in receiving yards and touchdowns and was a first-team FCS All-American in 2023.

Coker recorded 26 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 receiving yards in the last two seasons. He didn’t run an impressive 40-yard dash the NFL Combine, but showed explosiveness in the vertical and broad jump.

He received a sixth to seventh-round grade from Dane Brugler and a fifth to sixth-round grade from Lance Zierlein.

C.J. Hanson, Holy Cross

Wyckoff, New Jersey

Much like his teammate Coker, Hanson was under-recruited as a high school student but transformed into an All-Patriot League and FCS All-American performer at Holy Cross.

Hanson received a sixth to seventh-round grade from Brugler and a sixth-round grade from Zierlein. He projects as a potential reserve lineman at the next level, according to Brugler.

Josh Wallace, Michigan by way of UMass

Bowie, Maryland

You may notice a theme about the Massachusetts to Michigan pipeline here. Wallace, the third Massachusetts native to be draft-eligible from Michigan, actually began his career at UMass.

He transferred to Michigan as a graduate student and started 10 games for the Wolverines at defensive back. Wallace showed out during his one season in Ann Arbor, when he was named defensive player of the week twice and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection.

He received a priority free agent grade from both Dane Brugler and Lance Zierlein.

Mark Pope, UMass

Miami, Florida

A transfer from Miami, Pope hasn’t gotten a ton of coverage in the lead-up to the draft, but certainly has a chance to sign as a free agent post-draft if he isn’t selected late.

Pope is ranked 401 by NFL Draft Buzz.