Welcome Back (Almost): Miami Hurricanes Dominate Second Day of 2011 NFL Draft

It's been three years since the last time a Miami Hurricane went in the first round of the NFL Draft. That's not a secret to anyone; after a 14-year stretch of at least one player taken in the first round each year, an NFL record, a streak of three years feels like an eon.

Sadly for the Miami Hurricanes, that dry spell will carry over into 2012, when players such as Sean Spence try to return Miami back to the first round.

However, what may be an even more telling sign of the troubles Miami has experienced over the last few years is their futility in the next two rounds. Between 2009 and 2010, Miami has had zero second round picks and only one third round pick, TE Jimmy Graham, who went at the very end of the third round last year.

While pretty much every 'Canes fan has been dying for this team to return to the first round dominance, most would be glad to at least see Miami get close. Maybe get a few picks in the second and third rounds.

Mission accomplished.

Despite not having a single player drafted on Day 1, the Canes ended Day 2 tied for the most total picks thus far in the 2011 Draft, alongside the LSU Tigers, at five total.

This is a good feeling for Canes fans, as the Canes had that many total draft picks in 2009 and 2010 combined. Here is a quick run-down of where each of the five Canes went today:

OL Orlando Franklin- Denver Broncos (2nd round, 46th overall pick)

It was no shock that Orlando Franklin went on day 2. To some it's no shock that he went in the second round. The big shocker? That he was the first Cane off the board.

The Denver Broncos decided to bolster their line by taking the massive Franklin, either to protect QB Kyle Orton while he stands in the pocket or help give QB Tim Tebow running lanes for when he takes off to run.

Franklin will join former Cane, LB D.J. Williams, in the Mile High City and hopefully they will remain teammates for years to come.

Many expect Franklin to convert back to guard, where he played for his first three years at Miami before converting to tackle in his senior season to replace former tackle Jason Fox. Speaking of which, Denver plays Detroit this year. Could Franklin and Fox both find themselves starting in that game?

CB Brandon Harris- Houston Texans (2nd round, 60th overall pick)

Another minor shock was that Brandon Harris, who many had going in the late first round to a team like Baltimore or Pittsburgh, stumbled as far as he did, dropping just about an entire round's worth of picks before finding a new home in Houston with the Texans.

Harris joins Canes legend Andre Johnson on a team on the way up. The Texans were mostly held down by an absolutely atrocious pass defense in 2010, so we can expect B. Harris to contribute immediately, even if it is simply as the nickel back, the position in the secondary he is expected to fill.

WR Leonard Hankerson- Washington Redskins (3rd round, 79th overall pick

Speaking of joining former Canes wideouts, we have Leonard Hankerson, who possibly had the biggest and most shocking stumble of all of the Canes. Ranked the third-best wideout by ESPN, he ended up being the NINTH receiver taken in the draft.

However, he found a good home in our nation's capital, where he will join former Cane great Santana Moss as they try to help whoever ends up being QB for the Redskins (looks to be Rex Grossman) try to shore up a passing offense, something absent from the team in 2010.

Considered by most to be one of the safest wideouts in the draft, expect Hankerson to contribute immediately and be a big factor for the Redskins this coming season (assuming there is a season).

CB DeMarcus Van Dyke- Oakland Raiders (3rd round, 81st overall pick)

It's no secret that the Oakland Raiders love their fast players. Last year they took one of the fastest LBs in Rolando McClain, which turned out to be a great pick. The year before they took speedy wideout Darius Heyward-Bey, who, well, hasn't worked out so far.

This year, they lived up to everyone's expectations by drafting lightning fast CB DeMarcus Van Dyke, who had the third fastest 40 time at the combine since 2000, with a time of 4.26 seconds.

He is expected to be a developmental project, as his skills leave much to be desired, though if he gets teaching from new head coach Hue Jackson, he can become a solid corner who can be a potential replacement for the more-than-likely-departing Nnamdi Asomugha.

DE Allen Bailey- Kansas City Chiefs (3rd round, 86th overall pick)

The Chiefs decided to bolster their pass rush, particularly of the defensive end variety, by drafting Allen Bailey, the beastly defensive end. While his stats in college were not exactly unbelievable, the sky is the limit for Bailey. He has immense size and speed for any position, especially DE.

With Tyson Jackson not living up to expectations in KC, Bailey could find himself fighting for the starting job right away. Some say he possibly play at OLB thanks to his speed and strength, which would still give Bailey a shot at starting, as the Chiefs are also weak in that area.

Maybe they could even move him inside to DT, where he sometimes played at Miami. Bailey's versatility and freakish athletic abilities will no doubt make him a contributor on defense for the Chiefs in the near future.

This looks to be a solid draft class for Miami, as all five players already taken look poised to contribute immediately (DVD only if Asomugha is not in Oakland next year, though that seems pretty likely).

Of course, as we look forward to the final day and the last four rounds of the draft, there are still Canes left on the board who look like they could be solid players, including:

LB Colin McCarthy

Projected to be a 3rd/4th rounder, word was that the Buccaneers were in love with him. Though with them taking LB Mason Foster, don't expect him to be in Tampa Bay next season.

As one of the top remaining LBs available, he could go as early as the 103rd pick to the Arizona Cardinals.

RB Greg Cooper

McCarthy may be the last Cane drafted, though three other Canes still have a shot. Cooper was considered a possible 2nd to 3rd rounder at the end of 2009 before his injury in the bowl game against Wisconsin.

A as lack of contribution in 2010 as a result of said injury, hurt his draft stock severely. He may go in the 6th or 7th round if a team thinks he can stay healthy, as he is a solid receiving back with good speed.

RB Damien Berry

Another Cane RB who was previously seen as a potential 2nd to 3rd rounder, Berry had a solid 2010, but injury concerns, as well as a mediocre combine performance, have hurt his draft stock.

He can be a decent short yardage back akin to Toby Gerhardt if a team is willing to take a shot with him, but I expect him to go undrafted and be picked up as a free agent.

K/P Matt Bosher

 The market for kickers and punters appears to be very small this year. Bosher is one of the best available, but could still go undrafted. Not an amazing kicker, but he's got a strong and accurate leg that can make him a force in the punting game.

It's gonna be at least one more year before the Canes see another player taken in the first round of the draft (most likely LB Sean Spence), but it's clear that the Canes are on their way back.

This Day 2 performance by the Hurricanes highlights just how much the former coaching staff held the team back. 7-6 teams don't produce 5 draft picks in the first three rounds.

Or maybe it's just the faith that NFL teams have in the Miami Hurricanes to produce solid pro talent, faith that was bolstered last year when, despite only four total draft picks, and none before the end of the third round, the Canes' 2010 rookie class was still productive, led by TE Jimmy Graham and undrafted CB Sam Shields.

Either way, the Canes will soon be back to being a yearly contributor to the first round of the NFL Draft. We may never see another 14-year streak, but that's more a testament to just how dominant the Canes were in the draft in the past than it is to how bright the future may or may not be for the Miami Hurricanes.