Miami’s On-Field Success Directly Related to the NFL Draft
What does the future of the Miami Hurricanes NFL Draft hopes look like, as well as the hopes for Miami winning big once again prior to those players heading off for NFL riches?
This article will break down players that were selected and how that went along with Miami's on-field success to give an idea to fans of what NFL Draft success truly means for the Canes.
After a tough 2022 season, Miami had three players drafted: Tyrique Stevenson, Will Mallory, and DJ Ivey. Stevenson was selected the earliest in round 2 with the 56th overall pick, then Mallory in round 5, and Ivey in the 7th. To look forward at the potential future success of these Hurricanes, they must look back at those who came before them.
AWESOME YOUNG MEN-WELL DESERVED!!! CONGRATS !!! JUST KEEP WORKING!!! https://t.co/izezGOMkl3
— Mario Cristobal (@coach_cristobal) May 1, 2023
Having looked at all the Miami players drafted since 2017 and compiled some data about the direction the program is going with their NFL pipeline, and how successful these players' careers have been.
From the 2017 NFL Draft to now, there have been 32 Miami players selected. Of those 32, the overwhelming majority were selected on day 3 of the draft like Mallory and Ivey. In the past 7 NFL Drafts, the Canes have had 3 first round picks, 2 selections from the second day, and a whopping 27 selections from the third day of the NFL Draft.
On average, Miami sends 4.57 players to the NFL Draft, but that average has decreased substantially from where it used to be. In the last 4 Drafts, there has been an average of 3 players picked per year compared to an average of 7 players per year in the 3 years prior.
This ties in with the team’s success in those seasons. For example, the 2016 team with 10 picks from the 2017 Draft and finished 9-4. The 2017 squad finished 10-3 before sending 6 guys to the Draft. That is half of the players selected in the past 7 years from just 2 NFL Draft years.
The NFL cliche is, “it’s not about where you are drafted, but how you play”, so the success of these 32 players selected was analyzed. There are 5 players that should be considered consistent starters in the NFL: Tight end David Njoku (round 1), defensive end Jaelan Phillips (round 1), defensive end Gregory Rousseau (round 1), safety Rayshawn Jenkins (round 4) and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (round 6).
— Jaelan Phillips ;🕴🏾® (@JJPhillips15) April 21, 2023
It is no coincidence all 3 first round picks have established themselves in the NFL and only 2 of the 27 players who heard their names called on day 3 have regularly started at the next level.
There are also no pro bowl selections between this group. Miami fans should be optimistic that will change in the case of Phillips and Rousseau in particular, who have had great starts to their young NFL careers.
This is not to say that guys who have been selected from The U in the later rounds have not contributed in some way as a backup or special teamer, such as Jaquan Johnson, KJ Osborn, Braxton Berrios, Chris Herndon, Deejay Dallas and Travis Homer.
To turn away from the program’s pipeline and towards the three players selected this year, helped to compare them to those who have been selected in the past. The U has sent 5 corners and 4 tight ends to the league recently, including Stevenson and Ivey at corner and Mallory at tight end.
MORE: 2024 Miami Hurricanes Draft Possibilities
No cornerback has been a consistent starter, but none of them have been selected as highly as Stevenson either. He is certainly expected to greatly outperform all of them. Stevenson has a prototypical NFL build and will step into a significant role in that young, physical Bears secondary.
Chricago Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus has a defensive background and places a strong emphasis on physicality, toughness, and aggressiveness in his Cover 2 and man to man heavy scheme which is a perfect fit for Stevenson.
Mallory is the 4th tight end drafted in the past 7 drafts and lands under new Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Shane Steichen as a backup tight end with starting upside in a room with no starting caliber tight ends.
Steichen will also likely use heavier personnel packages with two tight ends to incorporate Mallory in the run game and some in the play action game as a secondary read or safety valve for quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Anthony Richardson this year.
This will be useful for them as they will play through their best offensive weapon in running back Jonathon Taylor.
Mallory could have a career similar to UM’s 2018 selection of tight end Chris Herndon, who has flashed at times and is a dependable backup. Ivey, being drafted the latest, will compete to make the roster and earn a special teams role as there is a crowded Bengals secondary that just used their second round pick on Michigan cornerback DJ Turner.
Overall, Miami fans hope to see long and successful careers from all three of these guys, and for The U to get back to its glory days while improving their NFL pipeline.
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