Miami and the NFL Draft: Old Friends, Together Again?

Whether he'll end up as the best prospect of any player on the current roster is yet to be seen, but he certainly looks like the best bet right now. He's been starting forever, plays one of the most important positions on an offense, and fits the prototype that NFL teams love. While Fox certainly has a good OT class coming up this year, it's not out of the question to see him sneak into the first round.

Fox's best strength is his athletic ability, and potential to be a top of the line pass blocker as a blindside protector. This year he's also proven himself as a top of the line run blocker, helping guide the way for some huge rushing performances by the 'Canes runners. Don't be surprised to see him as the man that restarts the streak.

There are only two things working against Graig Cooper in his battle to make the first round, consistency and a freakish running back class lined up for 2011. Coop hasn't emerged as a workhorse type, but that's not where the value in a prospect like him would lie. He has all the tools to be a force in the pro game, especially in a situation that can pair him with a physical type back.

People would probably like to throw out a guy like Chris Johnson as a comparison because of the athleticism and size, but Johnson was also a proven rusher while at ECU. Cooper might have his ability to catch the ball and make plays as a return man, but teams have to wonder what his workload could potentially be.

If he leaves after this season, he would probably have a better chance to make a splash and rise up boards this year, with a solid, but likely unspectacular class on the way. After Cooper's senior year, he'll have to potentially face a number of young studs, like Mark Ingram and Dion Lewis. If he returns, he has to prove he can carry all of the load himself.

The most physically gifted Hurricane, every Miami fans wants so badly for Allen Bailey to be great. He has anything and everything that a coaching staff could want in an athlete, from size to speed and strength, he's a freak of nature. That said, his development to this point has been slowed by a number of occurrences, from injuries to late position changes.

If there was a man on this list that I would say could very rise to the top of the draft, it's Bailey, but he's still yet to put on the field what so many people are waiting for. That's not saying Bailey hasn't been solid, which with his ability may be enough to get him in the first round, it's just that there is top ten money to be had.

No, Ojomo isn't going to be playing this season, but I strongly believe that he would have been the best player on that defensive line if he were healthy. As a freshman last season, Ojomo proved to be both a consistent option as a pass rusher and as a force against the run. The best part about Ojomo was the fact that it didn't take him long to get past a lot of the underachieving players on the Hurricanes' defense a year ago to take hold of a starting spot.

Of course, this will all depend on how he is when he returns next season, jaw intact. He was physically just about where he needed to be, a solid 6-4 250, but that type of injury can wreak havoc on the body. Reports were that he had already lost a lot of weight back when the incident occurred, so he's going to need to put in a lot of work during the offseason to get back to playing shape.

Probably the first "WHAAAT?" pick of the top ten, Byrd is a kid with a ton of potential that's currently developing into a #1 wideout. Yes, Aldarius got the hype coming in, and Travis Benjamin is the designated big play guy, but Byrd currently leads the team in receptions. In addition, Byrd has what no one else on the team does, the blue-chip size-speed combination.

I know, athletic ability and size aren't everything (cough RYAN MOORE cough), but with Byrd's ability to make big plays, he has the looks of a legitimate prospect. Six games left into his sophomore year he's got a ways to go before he's making the jump, plenty of time to develop into the star I feel he will become.

I'm not going to sugar coat this one. Small, fast receivers from Miami go high in the draft. It's just that simple. Santana Moss went in the first round after a terrific career as a receiver and return man. Then Roscoe Parrish made it to the 2nd round with a solid career as a wideout with big play potential in the return game. Sinorice Moss even made it to the 2nd round... Not sure exactly how, but he did.

Benjamin has emerged from the back end of the 'Canes rotation to being a player the team looks to to make the big play. He's helped change the momentum of games more times this year alone than anyone else, and his speed will always make him a force to be reckoned with. He's still young though, and has time to even further grow into the limelight.

Brandon Harris has definitely been given his chances to show what he's got this season. He is tied for first nationally in passes defensed, and has been challenged countless times so early in his Hurricane career. Sure, Harris hasn't been perfect so far this year, but he's made a number of very big plays (including several at the end of the FSU game) and is making tremendous progress.

The fact that help in coverage largely is either unavailable or committed to help the other side of the defense has played it's role this season. Still, Harris has responded in a major way. He has to fill out his frame, but I don't think I'm making that much of a reach to expect BH to really emerge as one of the best corners in the ACC next season.

Big Orlando Franklin, certainly not the first name to come to mind making this list, but a very deserving member of it. Franklin has two big advanted, great size/strength and versatility. A lot of times there are prospects deemed as versatile because they played all over the line in college, but their size will limit them to interior positions in the pros.

Franklin could legitimately find himself at any positions outside of center in the NFL, and be a good fit at all of them. His ability to move inside and have success next to Jason Fox and make the left side of the line a force has been the one of the biggest reasons for Miami's offensive success this season.

I'll be honest about Javarris. When he was recruited, I thought he wasn't going to be much of a player for the 'Canes. I expected him to be solid, but no better than, say, Jarrett Payton, another player who came to Miami having to deal with a legacy they could never even approach. That said, James went out and impressed as a freshman, and I ate some crow. Maybe Baby J was more than what I thought.

Then came his next two years, but we won't talk much about that. This season he's seen a revival, though not the monster his famous cousin once was, James has been Miami's most consistent threat in the running game. His 150 yards against Oklahoma were a career high, and also his first 100 yard game in almost two years. He's still got injury issues and he's not a speedster or anything, but he may start getting looks before many of us would think.

Ironic that these players that are emerging as the biggest reason, not one of, THE biggest reason for the return of the Hurricanes to national prominence all have their own respective limitations when it comes to their future as draft prospects.

Jacory Harris is a terrific leader and a big game player, that much we know. However, he's about 190 lbs and looks even smaller, and doesn't have superior arm strength. Sean Spence is in the same boat, a smart, athletic player, but one whose needs to bulk up like a lot of his predecessors have over the years. In addition, Marcus Forston, besides being out with the injury, had a lot of weight/motivation issues hanging over his head.

Aldarius Johnson is probably the best of the group (and honestly deserves a spot on the list somewhere), but has to find a way to emerge from the talented pack of wide-outs that Miami has. He wasn't blessed with top speed like the others, so he needs to live up to that glue hands nickname.

There are a number of players that I kept off the list solely because six or so games is way too early to make any kind of projection about where they'll be three and a half years from now. Though, to be kind, I'll rank the top young guys that I think will eventually be impact players and top prospects.

1. DE Olivier Vernon, Fr.
2. S Vaughn Telemaque, Fr.
3. LB Ramon Buchanon, Soph.
4. S Ray Ray Armstrong, Fr.
5. OG Harland Gunn, Soph.
6. Jermaine Johnson, Fr. (You're welcome Jermaine Johnson fans...)