Miami football has four of ACC’s top 25 2020 NFL Draft prospects

Manny Diaz has turned out of the best defenses in college football during his three seasons as the Miami football team’s defensive coordinator. As Diaz ascends to head coach several Hurricanes defensive players are ranked among the ACC’s best NFL prospects.

Offseason rankings for the Miami football players returning for the 2019 season have been varied in the rankings for their prospects for the 2020 NFL Draft. Rising senior linebacker Shaq Quarterman has been on most national lists of the best prospects for the NFL Draft. Some lists have no Hurricanes players in the top 50.

The 2020 NFL Draft will be three years since a Miami football player was selected in the first round. You have to go back a year further for the last time a Miami Hurricanes defensive player was selected in the first round. In time Diaz will likely change that. Quarterman is the only player that could be a first-round pick in 2020.

In their rankings for the 2020 NFL Draft, Athlon Sports does not have any Miami Hurricanes in the top 50 prospects. Athlon further broke down the rankings by the best prospects by conference. Four Miami defensive players were among Athlon’s “Top 25 ACC 2020 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch.”

Cornerback Trajan Bandy, defensive end Jonathan Garvin, linebacker Michael Pinckney and Quarterman were all profile by Athlon. Pinckney and Quarterman will be seniors in 2019. Bandy and Garvin are entering their true junior season and are eligible for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Quarterman, Bandy and Pinckney earned All-ACC honors in 2018. Garvin was snubbed with numbers that at the very least should have given awarded him honorable mention all-conference. Quarterman was named first-team All-ACC, Bandy third and Pinckney honorable mention. All four should be honored in the preseason.