As the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine takes place over the next week in Indianapolis, eight former Michigan standouts will participate in the event, attempting to showcase their skills, attributes and abilities to scouts and coaches ahead of April's NFL Draft. A schedule of the event can be found here.
We preview what each former Wolverine invited brings to the Combine, looking back at their Michigan careers, at current draft projections and what to watch from them at the Combine.
Previously: Edge Derrick Moore, Edge/Linebacker Jaishawn Barham, defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny
Next up in our series is linebacker Jimmy Rolder
Career at Michigan
A one-time Illinois baseball commit, Rolder switched to linebacker midway through his high school career, and quickly ascended to four-star status as a recruit, fielding offers from a slew of Big Ten and national programs. Michigan targeted him heavily in the 2022 recruiting class, and he burned his redshirt immediately, playing 13 games and finishing with nine tackles as a true freshman.
Injuries caused him to redshirt the 2023 season, but the 6-foot-2, 240-pounder still played in six games, notching five tackles. In 2024, with Junior Colson and Michael Barrett off to the NFL, Rolder began his ascent up the depth chart. He played in 12 games at linebacker, totaling 26 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, just one missed tackle, seven quarterback pressures and eight run stops. He also allowed three receptions and 23 yards on 96 coverage snaps.
As a redshirt junior in 2025, Rolder had a breakout season, in part thanks to Jaishawn Barham moving to edge and Ernest Hausmann leaving the team midseason due to personal reasons. Regardless, Rolder played in 12 games and made 11 starts, and led the Wolverines with 73 tackles. He also added seven tackles for loss, two sacks, three pass breakups, an interception and a recovered fumble.
He shined brightest in a two-game stretch in October, where he recorded 18 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, one interceptions, nine run stops and three pressures in wins over Washington and at Michigan State. The latter game earned him Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
By season's end, he was named second-team All-Big Ten by both coaches and media, and despite having one more season of eligibility remaining, he declared for the NFL Draft.
Latest projections
Rolder is ranked No. 282 overall in the NFL Mock Draft database, and the No. 26 linebacker
Rolder is not projected to be selected in Pro Football Focus's three-round mock draft.
Rolder was not listed in The Athletic's top-100 prospects rankings
Rolder is No. 202 in CBS Sports' top 330 prospects, and the No. 23 linebacker
What scouts will like
Compared to other prospects, Rolder seems particularly buoyed by words of praise from his coaches. Mike Macdonald (who arguably recruited Rolder harder than any other prospect in his lone year at Michigan) and Jesse Minter spoke highly of Rolder before he emerged in the two-deep under an even more praiseful Wink Martindale. That speaks to Rolder's coachability, football IQ and work ethic outside of game settings.
Rolder is also a proven tackler (just a 4.9-percent missed tackle rate the last two seasons, ranking among the top 10 power-conference linebackers nationally both seasons), and was an asset in the Wolverines' run defense both seasons. He played 531 snaps this fall in 12 games, showcasing durability and toughness even with a mid-season injury. He has also played 310 special teams snaps, which is something mid- and late-round draft prospects can differentiate themselves with.
Rolder markedly improved each season, and looked like a star with even more room to improve this past fall.
Questions to answer
Rolder is relatively inexperienced (909 defensive snaps, 11 starts) for a player who just turned 22. That isn't a dealbreaker, but the teams unfamiliar with his game will want to hear more of his schematic knowledge and football IQ in interviews. Rolder has shown good measurable speed before — including a 6.92-second 60-yard dash time as a baseball prospect — but can help solidify his stock with good testing times in Indianapolis.
Those times can also help address arguably the biggest non-injury concern about Rolder — his abilities in pass coverage. If he can emerge as a physical linebacker with plus athleticism, Rolder would have a chance to rse up draft boards this week at the Combine.