The Canes produced seven picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. It was their highest total since 2017 and the sixth-highest total in the country this year (behind Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Oregon and Ole Miss). This group included a Day 1 pick (#1 overall), a Day 2 pick and five Day 3 picks.
Can Miami exceed that number in 2026? Here are some names in the mix early.
OL Francis Mauigoa- Anything can happen in a year, but this looks like one of the safest picks in the draft. Mauigoa is a well-built 6’6, 330, tested well in high school (4.5 shuttle) and has developed into one of the best tackles in the country. He has explosive power and moves well in space. Character is an A+. While he plays RT in college, that didn’t stop guys like JC Latham and Armond Membou from going Top 10.
Even if Mauigoa slides inside due to arm length, I still see him going Top 15 like Peter Skoronski and Tyler Booker. The cleanest comparison might be New Orleans Saints LT Taliese Guaga, who played RT at Oregon State and went 14th last year.
DL Reuben Bain- Every preseason mock draft has Bain going first round. I don’t expect it to be that straightforward due to Bain’s 6’2, 280-pound frame. Some teams will knock him for lack of length, some may want him as a DT. But his knockback power is rare and translates directly to the pros. I see him in the Day 1-Day 2 mix depending on his production.
QB Carson Beck- This is the wild card of the group. He has a high first-round skillset as a passer. We’ve seen guys projected high in media mock drafts before (Tyler Van Dyke, Brad Kaaya) but the Beck hype came from NFL guys. Rick Spielman, a former GM who joined the Jets front office after the season, predicted Beck would go #1 overall after he joined the Canes. Todd Monken, the Ravens OC and former Georgia OC, is telling people that Beck is an NFL starter.
There are two major questions. The first is health. Everything looks good so far off elbow surgery, but we haven’t seen it full speed. The second issue is Beck’s departure from Georgia. Teams don’t usually praise guys who transfer away (see Jayden Daniels), so Beck will need to counter that with a strong endorsement from Miami. Given the draft range between projected starters and projected backups, I could see him going anywhere from Top 10 to Round 7 like Quinn Ewers.
OL Anez Cooper- I put Cooper in a similar bucket as Jalen Rivers. He has high-end size (6’6, 320) and is very intelligent. The staff absolutely loves him. While he was inconsistent last season, he had the best spring of any offensive lineman. Personally, I think he has the ability to play some tackle. But, unlike Rivers, he’s only played guard in games.
Rivers was on the Day 2-Day 3 border and then had a tough Senior Bowl that locked him on Day 3. Cooper is in the same range headed into the season.
OL Markel Bell- Aside from Beck, Bell might have the widest range. His size is rare (6’9, 340) and he carries it well. When he wins, he’s dominant. When he gets beat with quickness, he appears flat-footed and stiff. Ideally, he would’ve been on a three-year plan with a redshirt in 2024. But he was ahead of schedule and played starter snaps. Our best lineup had him at LT and Rivers at LG.
My comparisons for Bell would be 6’6, 345-pound Ethan Onianwa (Ohio State) and 6’8, 320-pound Isaiah World (Oregon). Both guys are G5 giants who made huge strides and got big money to play left tackle at elite schools. It will all come down to development. I’m betting on Bell because he’s very smart and a hard worker. Day 3 for now, but he can climb fast.
RB Mark Fletcher- He’s by no means a lock to go pro, but RBs usually take off early. Right now, I’d have him in a similar range to guys like Damien Martinez, LeQuint Allen and Phil Mafah later on Day 3. Big backs are usually more impactful in college than the pros (where there’s more physical parity), so these guys often fall behind the more dynamic backs.
A couple things in Fletcher’s favor- his frame will wow evaluators in person and he has elite character. Teams have been emphasizing football character more than ever in the NIL era. His pass protection will also translate well. The key for him is staying healthy and correcting his fumble issues.
NB Keionte Scott- This is a potential riser. Scott was a Senior Bowl watchlist guy and on pace to get drafted after 2023. He came back for big money at Auburn, moved from nickel to outside CB, and struggled in 2024. He seems poised for a bounceback at his natural nickel spot under his old coach Zac Etheridge.
The traits are all there- 6’0, 190, 4.4ish speed on tape (10.9 guy in high school), physical tackler, punt return value. His weaknesses would include some stiffness and a lack of instincts with the ball in the air. But those issues are more glaring outside. Scott’s path is similar to Jaden Davis (7th round pick in 2024) with the physical traits to go higher.
OL Matthew McCoy- He’s not a marquee name with the fanbase, but internally McCoy is considered one of the better NFL prospects on the team. He’s 6’6 and every bit as massive as Rivers and Cooper. While all 12 of his starts are at LG, he has the athleticism as a former TE to play tackle.
My gut says he comes back as a redshirt senior and gets some film on the outside, but we will see how the season plays out.
WR CJ Daniels- This one comes down to speed. At Liberty, Daniels looked like a draft pick with over 1,000 yards and 19.4 yards per catch. That second number plummeted to 11.4 at LSU, as Daniels struggled with a lingering foot injury. He already has the size (6’2, 205), contested-catch production, and the character to play in the pros. We just have to see how he comes back from offseason foot surgery. I’d say UDFA for now with a chance to rise into Day 3.
LB Wesley Bissainthe and Mohamed Toure- I’ll put these guys together. Bissainthe is a solid all-around linebacker who grades well against the run and pass. He hasn’t been a true impact player yet, though, and that usually pops early with LBs. I don’t have a great sense of his testing numbers. If he runs and jumps well at 220+, that will improve his chances of getting drafted.
Toure looked like a draftable player before his ACL injury. He has size (6’2, 235), production and pass-rush ability (13.5 career sacks) as a bonus. It will be tough to get picked with his injury history, but if he has a big season it’s possible.
DL David Blay, Ahmad Moten and Akheem Mesidor- These three are traveling together for me. Blay was graded as a Day 3 pick on the 247 Portal rankings. Seeing him in person, he looks good as a player but is not overly impressive on the hoof. Mesidor has an injury history. He's a good all-around college football player but it's still unclear at what spot he's most impactful. If he has a big year as a standup rusher, that could get him a look. Moten is the guy with the most upside to me. He has the best first step and the most overall explosiveness. It will come down to his consistency and tape.
SAF Jakobe Thomas- The Tennessee transfer has good length (6’2, 200) and straight-line speed. His physicality is exactly what we’ve lacked in the secondary. However, his coverage ability is a concern, and that becomes a bigger issue at the NFL level. Need to see more here.
WR Keelan Marion- Physically, he has the size (6’0, 200) and speed to be an NFL player. From what I’ve seen, there are some limitations in terms of fluidity and natural receiving ability. There is kick return value (All-American in 2024) and I’m curious to see how the new rules impact the value of pure kickoff guys.
CB Charles Brantley, TE Alex Bauman and OL James Brockermeyer- All three guys have the experience and skillset to help us, but they have physical questions they will need to answer to become NFL prospects.
Right now, I’d put the over/under on draft picks at 5. But a lot can change in 11 months.
Can Miami exceed that number in 2026? Here are some names in the mix early.
OL Francis Mauigoa- Anything can happen in a year, but this looks like one of the safest picks in the draft. Mauigoa is a well-built 6’6, 330, tested well in high school (4.5 shuttle) and has developed into one of the best tackles in the country. He has explosive power and moves well in space. Character is an A+. While he plays RT in college, that didn’t stop guys like JC Latham and Armond Membou from going Top 10.
Even if Mauigoa slides inside due to arm length, I still see him going Top 15 like Peter Skoronski and Tyler Booker. The cleanest comparison might be New Orleans Saints LT Taliese Guaga, who played RT at Oregon State and went 14th last year.
DL Reuben Bain- Every preseason mock draft has Bain going first round. I don’t expect it to be that straightforward due to Bain’s 6’2, 280-pound frame. Some teams will knock him for lack of length, some may want him as a DT. But his knockback power is rare and translates directly to the pros. I see him in the Day 1-Day 2 mix depending on his production.
QB Carson Beck- This is the wild card of the group. He has a high first-round skillset as a passer. We’ve seen guys projected high in media mock drafts before (Tyler Van Dyke, Brad Kaaya) but the Beck hype came from NFL guys. Rick Spielman, a former GM who joined the Jets front office after the season, predicted Beck would go #1 overall after he joined the Canes. Todd Monken, the Ravens OC and former Georgia OC, is telling people that Beck is an NFL starter.
There are two major questions. The first is health. Everything looks good so far off elbow surgery, but we haven’t seen it full speed. The second issue is Beck’s departure from Georgia. Teams don’t usually praise guys who transfer away (see Jayden Daniels), so Beck will need to counter that with a strong endorsement from Miami. Given the draft range between projected starters and projected backups, I could see him going anywhere from Top 10 to Round 7 like Quinn Ewers.
OL Anez Cooper- I put Cooper in a similar bucket as Jalen Rivers. He has high-end size (6’6, 320) and is very intelligent. The staff absolutely loves him. While he was inconsistent last season, he had the best spring of any offensive lineman. Personally, I think he has the ability to play some tackle. But, unlike Rivers, he’s only played guard in games.
Rivers was on the Day 2-Day 3 border and then had a tough Senior Bowl that locked him on Day 3. Cooper is in the same range headed into the season.
OL Markel Bell- Aside from Beck, Bell might have the widest range. His size is rare (6’9, 340) and he carries it well. When he wins, he’s dominant. When he gets beat with quickness, he appears flat-footed and stiff. Ideally, he would’ve been on a three-year plan with a redshirt in 2024. But he was ahead of schedule and played starter snaps. Our best lineup had him at LT and Rivers at LG.
My comparisons for Bell would be 6’6, 345-pound Ethan Onianwa (Ohio State) and 6’8, 320-pound Isaiah World (Oregon). Both guys are G5 giants who made huge strides and got big money to play left tackle at elite schools. It will all come down to development. I’m betting on Bell because he’s very smart and a hard worker. Day 3 for now, but he can climb fast.
RB Mark Fletcher- He’s by no means a lock to go pro, but RBs usually take off early. Right now, I’d have him in a similar range to guys like Damien Martinez, LeQuint Allen and Phil Mafah later on Day 3. Big backs are usually more impactful in college than the pros (where there’s more physical parity), so these guys often fall behind the more dynamic backs.
A couple things in Fletcher’s favor- his frame will wow evaluators in person and he has elite character. Teams have been emphasizing football character more than ever in the NIL era. His pass protection will also translate well. The key for him is staying healthy and correcting his fumble issues.
NB Keionte Scott- This is a potential riser. Scott was a Senior Bowl watchlist guy and on pace to get drafted after 2023. He came back for big money at Auburn, moved from nickel to outside CB, and struggled in 2024. He seems poised for a bounceback at his natural nickel spot under his old coach Zac Etheridge.
The traits are all there- 6’0, 190, 4.4ish speed on tape (10.9 guy in high school), physical tackler, punt return value. His weaknesses would include some stiffness and a lack of instincts with the ball in the air. But those issues are more glaring outside. Scott’s path is similar to Jaden Davis (7th round pick in 2024) with the physical traits to go higher.
OL Matthew McCoy- He’s not a marquee name with the fanbase, but internally McCoy is considered one of the better NFL prospects on the team. He’s 6’6 and every bit as massive as Rivers and Cooper. While all 12 of his starts are at LG, he has the athleticism as a former TE to play tackle.
My gut says he comes back as a redshirt senior and gets some film on the outside, but we will see how the season plays out.
WR CJ Daniels- This one comes down to speed. At Liberty, Daniels looked like a draft pick with over 1,000 yards and 19.4 yards per catch. That second number plummeted to 11.4 at LSU, as Daniels struggled with a lingering foot injury. He already has the size (6’2, 205), contested-catch production, and the character to play in the pros. We just have to see how he comes back from offseason foot surgery. I’d say UDFA for now with a chance to rise into Day 3.
LB Wesley Bissainthe and Mohamed Toure- I’ll put these guys together. Bissainthe is a solid all-around linebacker who grades well against the run and pass. He hasn’t been a true impact player yet, though, and that usually pops early with LBs. I don’t have a great sense of his testing numbers. If he runs and jumps well at 220+, that will improve his chances of getting drafted.
Toure looked like a draftable player before his ACL injury. He has size (6’2, 235), production and pass-rush ability (13.5 career sacks) as a bonus. It will be tough to get picked with his injury history, but if he has a big season it’s possible.
DL David Blay, Ahmad Moten and Akheem Mesidor- These three are traveling together for me. Blay was graded as a Day 3 pick on the 247 Portal rankings. Seeing him in person, he looks good as a player but is not overly impressive on the hoof. Mesidor has an injury history. He's a good all-around college football player but it's still unclear at what spot he's most impactful. If he has a big year as a standup rusher, that could get him a look. Moten is the guy with the most upside to me. He has the best first step and the most overall explosiveness. It will come down to his consistency and tape.
SAF Jakobe Thomas- The Tennessee transfer has good length (6’2, 200) and straight-line speed. His physicality is exactly what we’ve lacked in the secondary. However, his coverage ability is a concern, and that becomes a bigger issue at the NFL level. Need to see more here.
WR Keelan Marion- Physically, he has the size (6’0, 200) and speed to be an NFL player. From what I’ve seen, there are some limitations in terms of fluidity and natural receiving ability. There is kick return value (All-American in 2024) and I’m curious to see how the new rules impact the value of pure kickoff guys.
CB Charles Brantley, TE Alex Bauman and OL James Brockermeyer- All three guys have the experience and skillset to help us, but they have physical questions they will need to answer to become NFL prospects.
Right now, I’d put the over/under on draft picks at 5. But a lot can change in 11 months.
