Several Canes projected for 2022 NFL Draft class
The 2021 NFL Draft is old news — at least to all those websites that already are prognosticating the college football stars who will go highest in the 2022 draft April 28-30 in Las Vegas.
The Miami Hurricanes lost five former stars this past weekend: defensive ends Jaelan Phillips (Dolphins), Greg Rousseau (Buffalo Bills) and Quincy Roche (Pittsburgh Steelers); tight end Brevin Jordan (Houston Texans); and kicker Jose Borregales (undrafted free-agent signee with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
Only two Hurricanes have been mentioned as being drafted in the first round next year in “way too early” mock drafts released or updated this week. The one mentioned repeatedly is soon-to-be third-year sophomore left tackle Zion Nelson.
Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell has the 6-5, 316-pound Nelson going 11th to the Cincinnati Bengals, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski has him going ninth to the Carolina Panthers, Sporting News has him going 15th to the New York Giants, Yahoo has him No. 19 to the Philadelphia Eagles, CBSSports has him No. 7 to the Panthers, profootballnetwork has him No. 22 to the Indianapolis Colts and NBCSports has him No. 15 to Pittsburgh.
The other Hurricane mentioned as a projected first-rounder was rising fifth-year redshirt junior safety Bubba Bolden, projected by CBSSports as the No. 28 pick by the Detroit Lions. “He has a chance to be one of the top safeties in this class along with Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton,” Ryan Wilson wrote.
On Monday, D’Eriq King, now rehabbing a torn ACL, was rated by Pro Football Focus as the fourth of five current college quarterbacks with the highest grades in the 2022 draft class. The quarterbacks ahead of him: Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler, Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall and North Carolina’s Sam Howell.
UM fans undoubtedly have wondered who else from Miami will be drafted
season. Many of those players will still have another opportunity to extend their college careers after the NCAA allowed all players an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But it’s probable some
will leave early. Possibilities, not necessarily probabilities, include defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera, tight end Will Mallory, receivers Dee Wiggins and Mark Pope — all of whom will be eligible for another season in 2022 after alnext
ready playing four years. That doesn’t mean they’ll all be drafted, of course, and four years of experience would never have normally been viewed as “early.”
Redshirt juniors who would likely leave after four years of play include Charleston Rambo, center Corey Gaynor and punter Lou Hedley.
A talented redshirt sophomore, besides Nelson, who will be eligible for the draft is striker Gilbert Frierson.
And even sophomores such as cornerback transfer Tyrique Stevenson and cornerback Te’Cory Couch will be eligible.
Going a bit further, there will even be redshirt freshmen eligible for the draft because they will have been three years removed from high school, such as defensive tackle Jared Harrison-Hunte.
The fourth-year seniors who returned for another “senior” season include receiver Mike Harley, safety Amari Carter, offensive lineman Navaughn Donaldson and defensive tackle Jonathan Ford.
And the oldest veterans among the bunch: defensive end Deandre Johnson, defensive end Zach McCloud, offensive tackle Jarrid Williams and King.