ANALYSIS: Miami Hurricanes enter NFL Draft with handful of realistic hopefuls

The NFL Draft kicks off tonight at 8 p.m. and ends Saturday, and most experts don’t see the Miami Hurricanes with anyone going until safety Kam Kinchens is taken … likely in the third round. Miami’s only had three players go in the first two rounds since 2017 – first-rounders Jaelan Phillips and Gregory Rousseau in 2021 and Tyrique Stevenson in the second round last year.

Perhaps the lack of NFL top-round talent is a reflection of Miami’s wins and losses for the last number of years, and that’s something Mario Cristobal is looking to rectify.

OPINION: Miami offered 10 of the 32 projected 1st rounders in 2024 NFL Draft, with no success … something that needs to change

As far as this year’s draft hopefuls? Here’s a closer look at those that are expected to be drafted and could be priority free agents:

* Kam Kinchens (5-11, 203 pounds) ran a 4.65 40 time at the NFL Combine and had a 4.56 time at Miami’s Pro Day. He tested in the bench press at UM and did 13 reps. At the combine he also had a 1.59-second 10-yard split, a 35″ vertical and disappointing 9’2 broad jump.

Kinchens is rated the No. 5 safety prospect in the draft by The Beast’s 2024 NFL Draft Guide and is given a third-round grade. That’s similar to where ESPN experts Mel Kiper and Field Yates have said they anticipate Kinchens going.

The Beast notes his “terrific ball tracking and finishing skills” but that he “lacks elite speed and burst for the position.” The Beast has him going with the No. 79 overall pick in its top 100 mock draft.

ESPN’s Louis Riddick lists Kinchens among his five sleepers to watch outside of Round 1, writing “No safety in this class has better instincts and anticipation … (Kinchens) can make the difficult open-fieldtackles in one-on-one situations and has shown disruptive blitz ability.

“Kinchens has the potential to be a star.”

ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller?

He has Kinchens rated as the No. 111 overall prospect on his latest mock draft, which means somewhere in the middle of the third round.

*DT Leonard Taylor (6-3 1/2, 303 pounds) is likely to be the second Hurricane taken. He ran the 40 in 5.13 seconds at Miami’s Pro Day, and at the combine Taylor ran a 5.12 in the 40 with a 1.76-second 10-yard split. He had a 30″ vertical, 9’1 broad jump and 7.81-second 3-cone drill.

Taylor is rated the No. 13 defensive tackle prospect in the nation by The Beast and given a fourth to fifth round grade. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has him as a fifth-rounder and ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller has him going No. 150 overall (late fourth round).

*C Matt Lee (6-4, 301 pounds) did 25 reps on the bench press at Miami’s Pro Day, and at the combine Lee ran a 5.03 in the 40, 12th-best among offensive linemen. He had a 1.76-second 10-yard split with a 31″ vertical and 9’3 broad jump.

The Beast rates Lee the No. 9 center prospect in the draft and gives him a fifth to sixth round grade. ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller has him at No. 220 in his mock draft, equating to the tail end of the sixth round.

*OL Javion Cohen (6-4, 324) tested at a 26.5″ vertical and 8’8 broad jump at the combine. He opted out of the 40.

The Beast rates Cohen the No. 16 offensive guard prospect and – like Lee – grades him as a fifth to sixth rounder. ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller has Cohen going one pick after Lee at No. 221 in the late sixth round.

*LB/S James Williams (6-4, 231) has dealt with an injury that dates to the combine, where he ran the same 40 time as Kinchens at 4.65 and also had a 1.59-second 10-yard split. His vertical was 30″, lowest of safeties at the combine, with a 9’9 broad jump.

Williams played safety at Miami but is projected as a linebacker in the NFL.

Williams is rated the No. 18 linebacker prospect by The Beast’s preview and given a sixth to seventh round grade. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has him going undrafted. But ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller thinks a team will take a chance on him – he has Williams going No. 171 overall in his final mock draft, equating to a mid-fifth round grade.

Per The Beast, what is holding Williams back is that “his game lacks discipline and polish, and he is often caught overrunning responsibilities, against both run and pass. Overall, Williams is more of a tweener athlete than a seasoned football player, but he is a full-throttle enforcer with a unique skill set that will intrigue several NFL defensive coordinators. He projects best in a Robber/Cover-3 scheme and offers versatility in subpackages to blitz or match tight ends.”

Aside from the above five players it’s unlikely other Canes will be drafted.

*LB KJ Cloyd did 19 reps on the bench press at Miami’s Pro Day and ran a 4.71 in the 40. Cloyd is listed as the No. 152 LB prospect by The Beast and is not projected to be drafted.

*DB Jaden Davis did 16 reps on the bench press and ran a 4.47 in the 40 with a 9-11 broad jump at Miami’s Pro Day. He is listed as the No. 60 CB prospect in the draft by The Beast and is not projected to be drafted.

*LB Keontra Smith did 12 reps on the bench press and tested at 4.52 and 4.51 seconds in the 40 at Miami’s Pro Day. He had a 10-0 broad jump. He is listed as the No. 90 LB prospect by The Beast and is not projected to be drafted.

*DT Branson Deen was timed at a 5.34 in the 40 at Miami’s Pro Day. He is the No. 63 defensive tackle prospect per The Beast and is not projected to be drafted.

*CB Te’Cory Couch ran the 40 in 4.48 seconds and had a 10-4 broad jump at UM’s Pro Day. Couch is listed as the No. 70 CB prospect in the draft by The Beast and is not projected to be drafted.

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