Podcast: The good and bad for UM in the NFL Draft. And why 2021 should be a return to form
The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books, and it was pretty close to what we expected for the Miami Hurricanes: No one got drafted on the first two days, Shaquille Quarterman was the first Miami player off the board and four Hurricanes were taken in the final four rounds Saturday.
On the latest episode of the Eye on the U podcast, David Wilson and Susan Miller Degnan, the Miami Herald’s Hurricanes beat writer, recap the busy Saturday with all the successes and disappointments it entailed.
It was ultimately a good day for Quarterman and running back DeeJay Dallas, who both went in the fourth round, and wide receiver K.J. Osborn, who went in the fifth. It was a bit more complicated for edge rusher Jonathan Garvin, who slipped all the way to the last few picks of the draft before the Green Bay Packers finally took him.
Those three successes, though, are a nice example for coach Manny Diaz to point to. Quarterman, Dallas and Osborn were three of Miami’s best leaders in 2019, and three of the hardest-working Hurricanes throughout their times in Coral Gables. They bought into Diaz’s vision and reaped the rewards, getting selected in the first 150 picks.
The final day of the NFL Draft wasn’t quite as kind to wide receiver Jeff Thomas, defensive lineman Trevon Hill, linebacker Michael Pinckney and Trajan Bandy. All four were considered borderline draft picks and all four wound up going undrafted, although we’re optimistic about their chances in the NFL, anyway. Thomas, Hill and Bandy have already signed as free agents, and Pinckney is waiting to get healthy to make his decision. It was an unfortunate circumstance for Pinckney, in particularly, but the COVID-19 pandemic at least means he has no reason to rush.
We wrap things up by looking ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft, which could be a return to form for Miami. The way-too-early mock drafts think tight end Brevin Jordan, and edge rushers Gregory Rousseau and Quincy Roche all could be first-round picks — something the Hurricanes haven’t had since 2017.
