Outside of winning a national championship in his last season in Ann Arbor, if you can give Jim Harbaugh tons of credit for anything, it’s his record at putting players into the NFL. Even in years in which the Michigan Wolverines struggled on the field, Harbaugh still managed to get guys drafted.

Today, the NFL landscape is littered with former Wolverines. Jabrill Peppers made news earlier this offseason when he signed a larger-than-expected contract extension with the New England Patriots. However, it still wasn’t enough to get him into the five highest paid former Michigan football players this season.

Without further ado, here are the top five highest paid Wolverines in the NFL. For reference, all contract data was pulled from Spotrac and we used the average annual salary for each player.

5. G Jon Runyan, New York Giants

You may be surprised to see Runyan’s name here, as he certainly wasn’t a star during his time in Ann Arbor. However, the sixth-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2020 finally hit the open market this offseason and was paid handsomely by the New York Giants. A tackle for the Wolverines, Runyan has since slid inside to guard where he projects to be a starter for the Giants.

His new contract is for three years and $30 million, giving him an annual salary of $10 million.

4. C Cesar Ruiz, New Orleans Saints

Ruiz was an excellent center at Michigan and had his efforts rewarded on draft night when he was taken in the back half of the first round by the New Orleans Saints. After a rough rookie season in 2020, he turned things around in 2021 and beyond and was awarded a nice contract extension with the Saints.

While New Orleans has made some funny business with Ruiz’s contract by using dead cap space, at a high level his contract is worth $44 million over four years, giving him a rough annual salary of $11 million. There is also an opt out in 2026.

3. G Mike Onwenu, New England Patriots

Like Runyan, Onwenu was a sixth-round draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, he was easily the steal of the draft and is now a core piece of the rebuilding Patriots. A PFF darling, he has started at guard in New England for the past three seasons.

In March, Onwenu signed a three year, $57 million contract. While his contract is backloaded, the average annual value of the contract is $19 million.

2. OLB Rashan Gary, Green Bay Packers

Into the $20M+ club we go! While a very solid player for the Wolverines, Gary’s career has really taken off with the Packers. While he’s struggled with injuries a bit, his production on the field has been unmatched for the Packers.

In Oct.2023, Gary signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension to stay in Green Bay. Similar to Onwenu, much of that is backloaded so he won’t see a crazy amount this season, but the average annual value of the contract rounds out to be an astounding $24 million.

1. WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Criminally underused during his time at Michigan, Collins has finally had his career take off in the pros. A third-round pick in 2021, Collins struggled with injuries during his first two seasons before exploding in 2023 with 80 receptions, 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. This performance earned him a fantastic contract extension with the Texans.

His extension was worth north of $72 million over the course of three years, giving him an annual value of more than $24 million ($250k more than Gary). By average salary, he’s the 10th-highest paid receiver in the NFL. Not too bad for a third-round pick.

Honorable Mentions: Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions ($8.9M); Jabrill Peppers, New England Patriots ($8M); Graham Glasgow, Detroit Lions ($6.7M); J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings ($5.5M)